LI's Pete King: ICE Has 'Excellent Record' Regarding Child Deaths

Long Island Congressman Peter King was on Fox News this weekend defending Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the death of two children in the organization's custody during the last month.

King, a Republican from Seaford, said that the deaths of the two children were tragic. "Anytime kids die, it's terrible," he said. He was speaking of the deaths of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, Guatemalan children who both died this month after crossing into the U.S. and being held in ICE detention centers.

Both children became sick after being taken into custody. Call died hours after she was detained with her father at the border, and Alonzo died after a few days in custody.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said last week that prior to this month, no child had died in their custody in more than a decade.

While calling the deaths of the children tragic, King said that similar things happen in the U.S., pointing to children dying in housing projects in New York City.

"I think any time you have conditions like this, where people are coming up, many of whom have bad health to begin with, they're living in terrible conditions, they come up in a caravan or whatever, this could happen," he said. "I know in New York City in housing projects, you hear of kids dying. Unfortunately, people living in those conditions, that can happen."

King went on to praise ICE for its handling of the situation.

"I think it's wrong here to be piling on and blaming ICE," said King. "They've had hundreds of thousands of people over the years, and I think these are the only two children that have died. Certainly in recent memory. So considering all of that, considering what happens in housing projects across the country, I think ICE has an excellent record."

What do you think? Does ICE have an excellent record? Let us know in the comments.

Photo: Peter King's Office