A 2019 statement Joe Biden made while running for president is coming back to bite him after his administration confirmed the death of a 17-year-old Honduran unaccompanied minor in its custody.

In May 2019, shortly after announcing his candidacy for the presidency, Biden tweeted, "Over the last year, six children have tragically died in US custody at the border. It’s unacceptable. It’s not who we are. And silence is complicity."

"It’s on all of us to stand up and speak out. America is a nation of immigrants. We must guarantee everyone's treated with dignity," he added.

Over the last year, six children have tragically died in US custody at the border. It’s unacceptable. It’s not who we are. And silence is complicity. It’s on all of us to stand up and speak out. America is a nation of immigrants. We must guarantee everyone's treated with dignity.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 23, 2019

The statement was obviously a dig at then-President Donald Trump, suggesting the Republican's administration was treating migrants inhumanely.

However, on Friday, Biden's Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the death of Honduran teenager Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, who was in the agency's care at a shelter in Safety Harbor, Florida.

HHS "is deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our heart goes out to the family, with whom we are in touch," a statement read.

No cause of death was given.

🚨Confirmed: A migrant child has died in U.S. custody.

HHS statement below. pic.twitter.com/z0QQiQYWYt

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 12, 2023

"Honduran foreign minister Eduardo Reina called for an 'exhaustive investigation' into the death," Fox News reported.

The Biden administration's announcement of Espinoza's death came the same day as Title 42 ended. The provision had been used by both the Trump and Biden administrations to deport millions of migrants who crossed illegally into the U.S. during the pandemic.

Biden had sought to end the policy last year, but federal court rulings blocked him.

It was tough for the administration to argue that Title 42 should end, while at the same time wanting to keep a COVID state of emergency order in place.

The state of emergency officially ended Thursday.

Biden in May of 2019.

Today as reports circulate of a migrant child death in US custody - hours after title 42 is lifted - Biden admin officials forced reporters to submit pre-written questions and ignored FOX’s question on this reported death. https://t.co/CdWRWYkOih

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 12, 2023

Immediately after taking office in January 2021, Biden reversed several Trump border policies.

As a result, the U.S. has experienced a record surge of migrants, including unaccompanied minors, crossing illegally into the country.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reported that over 2.3 million migrants crossed illegally into the U.S. during fiscal year 2022, breaking the previous annual record by more than 1 million people.

The number has increased during FY 2023, with more than 1.2 million apprehended as of March.

Biden conceded Tuesday that the end of Title 42 will mean the southern border will be "chaotic for a while."

News flash: It's been chaotic for some time.

Biden telling you the Border will be “chaotic for a while”

The globalist replacement migration agenda is about to be put on steroids once Title 42 ends

This is all by design, it’s not a border crisis, it’s a strategic collapse of American sovereignty pic.twitter.com/ylMlfNMKLa

— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) May 10, 2023

Fox News reported that Border Patrol agents apprehended over 10,000 migrants per day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the highest numbers ever recorded.

There is a way out of our nation's current border chaos.

On Thursday, the Republican-controlled House passed the Secure the Border Act, H.R. 2.

H.R. 2 would codify Trump-era border enforcement policies, including “Remain in Mexico.”

Further, the bill would resume construction on the border wall and bar federal funds from being given to nongovernmental organizations that assist migrants who crossed into the U.S. illegally.

It's time to reclaim America's sovereignty and secure our border now.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.