Lauren Boebert Says Joe Biden 'Causing Death' at U.S. Border

Republican Representative Lauren Boebert has accused President Joe Biden of "causing death" at the border following reports of the death of an unaccompanied migrant child in U.S. custody.

Boebert, who represents Colorado's 3rd congressional district, took to Twitter on Friday to share news about the death of a teenage migrant and placed the blame on Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

The death of the 17-year-old Honduran migrant comes amid a mounting crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border following the expiration of Title 42 on Thursday - a Trump-era policy that allowed U.S. officials to expel migrants without going through a formal asylum process in order to prevent the spread of diseases.

"Joe Biden & Alejandro Mayorkas aren't just causing a crisis at the border... they're causing death," Boebert wrote. "The death of this child is on them!"

Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment.

Details about the teenager and the circumstances of the death are limited. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) confirmed the death in a statement and said they were "deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our hearts go out to the family, with whom we are in touch.

"As is standard practice for any situation involving the death of an unaccompanied child or a serious health income, HHS' Division of Health for Unaccompanied Children is reviewing all clinical details of this case, including all inpatient health care records. A medical examiner investigation is underway," the department said.

The statement added that due to "privacy and safety reasons" the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) "cannot share further information on individual cases of children who have been in our care."

The Tampa Bay Times reported that the Honduran national reportedly died after being transferred to an area hospital from a shelter operated by the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services nonprofit in Safety Harbor, a small city off the western shore of Tampa Bay.

Title 42, a policy introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed for the speedy expulsion of undocumented migrants, expired on Thursday. Border patrol officers have been supplemented with 1,500 troops previously approved by Biden in advance of the expiration

The Department of Homeland Security expects a rise in migrants crossing the southern border, with as many as 18,000 migrants a day, based on an estimate from 2022.

The Biden administration sharply criticized a federal judge on Friday after he blocked a new policy that would allow for some migrants to enter the U.S. without vetting given that they appear at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within 60 days.

U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, a Trump appointee, blocked the move on Thursday, arguing that it didn't differ from another plan that was deemed unconstitutional in March.

That previous policy released migrants into the U.S. without court dates if they utilized a mobile app that eventually granted them a court date.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Wetherell's decision "sabotage" on Friday

The Biden administration is likely to continue to receive criticism as issues at the border continue. On Friday, a video clip that captures Texas law enforcement reinforcing razor wire along its state's southern border went viral.

The video was shared by Texas' Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a strong critic of the administration's handling of the border.