Sign the petition: Trump's CBP chief has got to go

Jakelin Caal Maquin died after CBP agents refused to give her basic medical care.

The petition to U.S. Border and Customs Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan: "Resign now." Add your name:

CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan has blood on his hands. Recently, news broke of the tragic death of 7-year-old asylum seeker Jakelin Caal Maquin. She died of dehydration and cardiac arrest after CBP agents refused to give her basic medical care.1 No one should ever suffer a death like this. Yet so many immigrants have at the hands of CBP.2 CBP has a long record of corruption, using lethal force and abusing migrants in its custody.3 And with a Trump foot soldier like McAleenan at its helm, CBP's violence against immigrants is escalating. From separating immigrant families to tear gassing them, McAleenan is carrying out all of Trump's demands. He is dangerous, and he has to go. Kevin McAleenan has got to go. Click here to sign the petition. Jakelin is just the latest victim of CBP's racism and violence. In May, border agents brutally gunned down 20-year-old Guatemalan refugee Claudia Gomez Hernandez and killed transgender asylum seeker Roxsana Hernandez by failing to give her food, water and basic medical care.4,5 Like Jakelin, Roxsana died of dehydration and cardiac arrest. CBP tried to cover up Claudia's death, just like it did Jakelin's. McAleenan's agents claimed that Claudia attacked them with a piece of wood, though video footage proved that there was no wood near the scene. Similarly, McAleenan kept Jaklin's death secret from the public and Congress for nearly a week. When the story broke, CBP agents tried to blame Jakelin's death on the negligence of her father, spinning a fake story about the poor health of the child.6 This horrific pattern of deception needs to stop now. CBP is the largest law enforcement agency in the country, but it operates with little government oversight. Since 2003, CBP agents have killed 97 people, including six children and more than 25 U.S. citizens.7 While the causes of death vary, the majority of killings were from bullet wounds, in many cases from shots to the back.8 To justify deadly force, CBP routinely claims that victims of its violence attacked agents. McAleenan used that same defense to justify Claudia's murder and most recently, to defend his agency's use of tear gas and rubber bullets to attack families and children attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.9 Enough. McAleenan is a ruthless Trump loyalist and enforcer who is violating the human rights of migrants and refugees, and empowering border agents to abuse and kill them with impunity. The only laws he respects are the ones that propel Trump's racist agenda forward. Rep. Joaquín Castro is already demanding that McAleenan resign.10 CREDO activists called for McAleenan's resignation and projected images of Jakelin, Roxsana and Claudia on his home last night.11 Will you add your name now to keep the momentum going? Kevin McAleenan has got to go. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/mcAleenan_resign/?t=8&akid=30957%2E3130208%2Ekw42ta - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Robert Moore and Nick Miroff, "Attorneys for father of deceased migrant girl say border agents did not provide water," The Washington Post, Dec. 19, 2018. Daniel Altschuler and Natalia Aristizabal, "Claudia Gómez González Wasn’t Killed by a Rogue Border Agent—She Was Killed by a Rogue Agency," The Nation, May 29, 2018. Sarah Macaraeg, "Fatal encounters: 97 deaths point to pattern of border agent violence across America," The Guardian, May 2, 2018. Annie Rose Ramos, "Transgender migrant from Honduras dies in U.S. custody, NBC, May 30, 2018." Altschuler and Aristizabal, "Claudia Gómez González Wasn’t Killed by a Rogue Border Agent—She Was Killed by a Rogue Agency." Anne Flaherty and Wil Cruz, "Border Patrol head didn't tell Congress about Jakelin Caal Maquin to avoid 'politicizing' girl's death, ABC, May 30, 2018." Altschuler and Aristizabal, "Claudia Gómez González Wasn’t Killed by a Rogue Border Agent—She Was Killed by a Rogue Agency." Macaraeg, "Fatal encounters: 97 deaths point to pattern of border agent violence across America." Nick Miroff, "Top U.S. border official defends use of tear gas, says walls are 'important tool'," The Washington Post, Dec. 11, 2018. Suzanne Gamboa and Gabe Gutierrez, "Congressman Castro demands top border official resign after migrant girl's death," NBC, Dec. 18, 2018. CREDO, "CREDO Action: Live Protest at CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan’s House.," Dec. 20, 2018.