Washington (CNN) Yazmin Juarez, a mother whose toddler died weeks after they were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in 2018, recalled the death of her child in emotional testimony before a House panel Wednesday.

"I watched my baby girl die, slowly, and painfully, just a few months before her second birthday," she said through an interpreter, later beginning to cry recounting her 19-month-old daughter being admitted to the ICU.

Juarez's testimony came during a hearing on the treatment of children at the southern border. Over recent weeks, government and media reports have sparked a national outcry about conditions at border facilities.

Juarez said she fled Guatemala with her daughter to seek asylum in the United States. "We made this journey because we feared for our lives. The trip was dangerous, but I was more afraid of what might happen to us if we stayed. So we came to the United States where I hoped to build a better, safer life for us," she said. "Unfortunately, that did not happen."

Late last year, Juarez filed a wrongful death claim seeking $60 million from the US government. Juarez and her attorney alleged that ICE and those running the facility provided substandard medical care for the toddler after she suffered a respiratory infection while in detention.

Read More