American Samoan baby dies after customs holdup in Honolulu airport

[CBR 0]

Sorry if this was posted already. This just should never happen. What is it going to take to get the government to look at their border & immigration processes and FIX them!! It's not the first story I've seen about someone dying in their custody.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/224916.php

American Samoan baby dies after customs holdup in Honolulu airport

By GREG SMALL

Associated Press Writer

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.13.2008

advertisementHONOLULU — The mother of a 2-week-old boy said her son would be alive today if they and his traveling nurse hadn't been held up at Honolulu International Airport by customs personnel.

Luaipou Futi of American Samoa spoke through an interpreter during a news conference Tuesday at the offices of the family's attorney, Rick Fried.

Futi's son, Michael Tony, died Friday at the airport after he, Futi and the nurse, Arizona Veavea, were kept in a locked room after flying nearly five hours from American Samoa so the child could be treated for a birth defect, a hole in his heart, Fried said.

Plans had called for the three to travel from the airport directly to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, where Michael was to be treated, Fried said.

Instead, they were held at the airport apparently because of some problem with a visa waiver issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allowed Futi, 38, to travel to the U.S. and remain for the duration of her son's treatment, he said.

Veavea had told officials at the airport that even if there was a problem, she and the child, both naturalized U.S. citizens with U.S. passports, should be allowed to leave the airport to go to the hospital, he said.

Fried said he planned to file a notice of claim that the family intended to sue the federal government.

Jim Kosciuk, a CBP spokesman, said he couldn't comment on the case because of potential legal issues.

LBJ Medical Center in American Samoa made the arrangements to transfer Michael to Honolulu for treatment he couldn't receive in the U.S. territory located 2,300 miles south of Hawaii, Fried said.

The three flew aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight after it was decided the child born Jan. 25 didn't require an air ambulance. It was also determined he could ride in a private car that was waiting curbside, instead of an ambulance, from the airport to the hospital, Fried said.

The three were the first passengers to leave the plane, but after about 30 minutes in the warm, locked room, Michael had trouble breathing, Fried said.

"We're way past the time now that this baby would have been in good hands at Kapiolani," he said.

Veavea checked the door, but found it locked, he said. She and Futi began to scream, but people outside the door told them to "stay calm, relax," he said.

About five minutes later, someone arrived to help perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and eight to 10 minutes after that the infant was taken to another hospital, Fried said.

Scott Ishikawa, a spokesman for the state Transportation Department, said the child went into respiratory failure in the customs office, and airport paramedics failed to revive him.

Autopsy results are not yet complete.

Futi and her husband, Tony, 40, have a 14-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, but believed they could have no more children, so they adopted a son who is now 3, Fried said.

"So this baby ... was a surprise to them, a real blessing. They were very excited about this," he said.

Futi said she was so distraught, she couldn't eat or sleep.

[rebeccajo 14]

Shocking.

[isleta521 5]

Sad and tragic.

[Jason-Sasha 1]

Very sad story. Though, I have to believe that customs did nothing to cause the death of this infant. They simply chewed up this baby's last few hours. But who's to know the baby will die in an hour or two?? Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Taking a flight one day earlier may have prevented this death also. But of course, Uncle Sam will look like the bad guy here.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

lawsuit time

[Reba 2]

why are they holding US citizens in customs and immigration anyway?

eejits.

[Aymerlu 3]

Sad

[DeadPoolX 9]

why are they holding US citizens in customs and immigration anyway?

eejits.

I think U.S. Customs sometimes like to play games with people -- even their own citizens. Coming back from Canada one time, a U.S. Customs officer starting grilling me about where I'd been, what I had been doing and how much money I had on me. I was flying back to my own country! He saw my U.S. passport! I was about ready to say to something less-than-friendly to him, since he can't deny me entry into the United States.

I didn't have to say anything since he decided to let me through (maybe he got tired of messing with me or maybe he saw he couldn't do anymore and so he was looking for his new victim) and I was on my way. Even so, that's ridiculous. I shouldn't be treated that way coming back into my own country when I have a fully active passport (it's not up until 2015), so I don't see what his problem was.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

So very sad

[almaty 19]

terrible and just wrong

[mawilson 2,133]

why are they holding US citizens in customs and immigration anyway?

eejits.

I think U.S. Customs sometimes like to play games with people -- even their own citizens. Coming back from Canada one time, a U.S. Customs officer starting grilling me about where I'd been, what I had been doing and how much money I had on me. I was flying back to my own country! He saw my U.S. passport! I was about ready to say to something less-than-friendly to him, since he can't deny me entry into the United States.

Why didn't you?

[maggieNomar 0]

Very sad story. Though, I have to believe that customs did nothing to cause the death of this infant. They simply chewed up this baby's last few hours. But who's to know the baby will die in an hour or two?? Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Taking a flight one day earlier may have prevented this death also. But of course, Uncle Sam will look like the bad guy here.

Guess Ice runs through your veins.

why are they holding US citizens in customs and immigration anyway?

eejits.

Well because you know a sick two month old baby and his mom are prime suspects to mess up our country, regardless of citizenship.

[DeadPoolX 9]

why are they holding US citizens in customs and immigration anyway?

eejits.

I think U.S. Customs sometimes like to play games with people -- even their own citizens. Coming back from Canada one time, a U.S. Customs officer starting grilling me about where I'd been, what I had been doing and how much money I had on me. I was flying back to my own country! He saw my U.S. passport! I was about ready to say to something less-than-friendly to him, since he can't deny me entry into the United States.

Why didn't you?

Because he decided to let me in, so there was no point in doing so.

[KandD 1]

Shaking my head, That is just unreal. Makes u wonder what kind of idiots we have running our govt.

[msu17 0]

I don't know, I personally feel that every individual involved in holding an infant being transported for nearly an emergency situation (ok, no ambulance, but still a precarious situation) should be charged with some form of manslaughter and put on unpaid leave until the situation is resolved. No, they did not directly hurt the child, but had the baby been transported immediately to the hospital, the cardiac arrest issues could have been much easier to deal with. Totally irresponsible and inhumane treatment of US citizens.