A 16-year-old migrant boy was found dead Monday after being taken into Border Patrol custody, making him the fifth minor since December to die shortly after being detained in a government processing facility. Given the arduous journey many children take to get to the U.S. and the unsanitary conditions in Border Patrol centers, medical experts and immigrant rights advocates warn these deaths are likely to continue.

Theres no reason to think were not going to see more of this, said Neha Desai, the director of immigration at the National Center for Youth Law. Until the government starts complying with its basic legal obligations, they are jeopardizing the health and lives of children in their custody.

The teenager, named Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez, was originally diagnosed with the flu and given medicine. But instead of being taken to a hospital, he was transferred to a nearby border station where he could be segregated from other detained migrants. He was found dead the next day.

His death follows a similar pattern to those of the other four children: Vasquezs initial symptoms quickly worsened after an initial diagnosis, and he did not have adequate access to medical care or a safe environment for recovery.

Customs and Border Protection says its providing migrants care to the best of its ability, given the influx of families that are crossing the border. So why are children continuing to die after being put in Border Patrol holding cells?

Perilous Journeys

Most immigrants do not arrive at the border in good health. Many families and children come from poor countries in Central America, where children might not be receiving all the nutrients or medical care they need, said Dr. Lisa Ayoub-Rodriguez, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics immigrant health special interest group. They often make dangerous journeys that involve trekking through the U.S. desert in extreme temperatures with limited access to water or doctors.

Immigrants rights advocates say the U.S. government is leading migrants to cross the border in remote locations because a metering policy in place at major ports of entry limits how many people can request asylum or other help each day. People are forced to wait in Mexico for weeks or months before they can get into the U.S.

The number of families making remote journeys through the El Paso sector, which encompasses west Texas through New Mexico and includes part of the Chihuahuan Desert, has increased from 3,000 to 53,000 this fiscal year, and the number of migrants who die while trying to reach the border is also on the rise .