A toddler from El Salvador was discovered on Sunday in Maverick County, Texas, among a group of 200 other migrants, which included 60 unaccompanied minors who were detained after crossing the border. U.S. Border Patrol agents reported that the girl was holding a piece of paper with her name and a phone number on it.
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Footage released by the Texas Department of Public Safety showed a young girl answering questions about her journey. She mentioned that she was trying to find her mom and dad, explaining that they were already in the United States, the New York Post reported. Texas authorities noted that cases like this little girl’s are heartbreaking, as officials often never find out what happens to the children involved.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Lieutenant Chris Olivarez, spokesperson for the DPS-South Texas, stated that the 60 unaccompanied minors ranged in age from 2 to 27. “This is a stark example of the precarious journey these children make from their home country & how criminal organizations traffic these children across the southern border & further into the interior,” he wrote in the post.
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“Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks. With a record number of unaccompanied children and hundreds of thousands missing, there is no one ensuring the safety & security of these children except for the men & women who are on the frontlines daily.”
According to a report by Newsweek, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) stated that they have rescued over 900 children from abuse, abandonment, and human smuggling as part of the state’s ongoing Operation Lone Star.
“Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks.
