Two migrant children, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin and 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, have died while in Customs and Border Protection custody in the last few weeks.

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT MARISSA? MARISSA: THIS ATTORNEY TELLS ME THAT THE NUMBER OF BORDER DEATHS WERE HIGH UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, BUT THE DIFFERENCE MAY BE IN THE APPROACH THE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE TAKEN. >> DONALD TRUMP AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE IMMIGRATION AN ISSUE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BECAUSE OF IMMIGRATION. MARISSA: JUST THIS MONTH, TWO GUATEMALAN MIGRANT CHILDREN HAVE DIED UNDER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S WATCH. 7-YEAR-OLD JAKELIN CAAL MAQUIN AND 8-YEAR-OLD FELIPE GOMEZ ALONSO. >> WHILE WE DIDN’T HEAR ABOUT ALL THESE UNFORTUNATE DEATHS UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, WE HEAR ABOUT THEM NOW BECAUSE OUR ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING AN ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION. IT’S WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS CHOSEN TO FOCUS ITS ATTENTION ON. MARISSA: ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IN 2014 THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 313 DEATHS AT THE SOUTHWEST BORDER, 251 IN 2015 AND 329 IN 2016 UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THERE WERE 294 IN 2017. NOW WHILE THE NUMBERS FOR BOTH ADMINISTRATIONS ARE HIGH, IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT NOT ALL THESE DEATHS HAPPENED IN CBP CUSTODY. >> WHAT WE’RE SEEING NOW IS THE DEATHS OF CHILDREN IN CUSTODY, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED WITH THIS IRREGULARITY -- THIS REGULARITY IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. MARISSA: DE SANTIAGO ALSO BELIEVES WE MIGHT BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THE MIGRANT DEATHS BECAUSE OF THE POLICIES THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS IMPLEMENTED, SUCH AS DETAINING MIGRANTS IN FACILITIES FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT PROPER MEDICAL ATTENTION. >> THE TREND TOWARDS MORE DETENTION MEANS THERE ARE MORE LIKELIHOOD PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE VERY ILL. MARISSA: AND WHILE THE NUMBER OF BORDER DEATHS ARE HIGH UNDER BOTH ADMINISTRATIONS, SOME LAWMAKERS BELIEVE THERE NEEDS TO BE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF CBP. AND SEVERAL ADVOCACY GROUPS DO BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AT OUR BORDER IS EVEN HIGHER THAN WHAT CBP HAS REPORTED. MARISSA ARMAS, KOAT ACTION 7 NE

Advertisement Border deaths under Obama vs. Trump Two migrant children, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin and 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, have died while in Customs and Border Protection custody in the last few weeks. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Two migrant children, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin and 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, have died while in Customs and Border Protection custody in the last few weeks.But are the border deaths higher under the Trump administration than what they were under the Obama administration? Immigration attorney Roxie De Santiago said that although the number of border deaths was also high under the Obama administration, the difference may be in the approach the different administrations have taken. "Donald Trump and the administration has made immigration an issue. We currently have a government shutdown because of immigration," said De Santiago. "While we didn't hear about all these unfortunate deaths under the Obama administration, we hear about them now, because our administration is making an issue of immigration. It's what this administration has chosen to focus its attention on." According to CBP, under the Obama administration, in 2014 there were a total of 313 deaths at the southwest border, 251 in 2015 and 329 in 2016. Under the Trump administration, there were 294 in 2017. While the numbers for both administrations are high, it's important to note that not all these deaths happened in CBP custody. "What we're seeing now is the deaths of children in custody, which is not something that occurred with this regularity in the Obama administration," said Rep.-elect Xochitl Torres Small. De Santiago also believes we might be hearing more about the migrant deaths because of the policies the Trump administration has implemented, such as detaining migrants in facilities for longer periods of time without proper medical attention. "The trend towards more detention means there is more likelihood people are going to be very ill," De Santiago said. While the number of border deaths is high under both administrations, some lawmakers believe there needs to be a thorough review of CBP. Several advocacy groups believe the number of deaths at our border is even higher than what CBP has reported.