The Texas Department of Public Safety shared heartbreaking videos on Sunday showing dozens of unaccompanied children who had recently crossed the southern border into the United States.
Among the group of 60 children was a 2-year-old girl who told law enforcement officers that she had journeyed alone and was hoping to be reunited with her parents in the U.S. In the video, the child clutched a piece of paper, which she extended toward the officers. Inscribed on the note was a name and phone number.
‘Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks.’
An officer asked the child, “Did you come by yourself?”
She nodded her head in the affirmative.
“How old are you?” the officer inquired.
The child held up a couple of fingers and responded, “Two.”
When asked where she was going, she replied, “With my mom and dad,” who she stated were in the U.S.
The heart-wrenching video was shared by Texas DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez, who also posted two other clips showing unaccompanied minors lined up near the southern border, presumably while awaiting processing. Going down the rows, the children shared their age, country of origin, and their intended destination in the U.S.
Olivarez posted photographs of several “special interest immigrants” who appeared to arrive with the group of children.
He wrote on X, “This morning, @TxDPS encountered a group of 211 illegal immigrants in Maverick County. Among the group were 60 unaccompanied children/minors ages 2 – 17 and 6 special interest immigrants from Mali & Angola.”
“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,” Olivarez continued. “Regardless of political views, it is unacceptable for any child to be exposed to dangerous criminal trafficking networks.”
He explained that “hundreds of thousands” of children have gone missing during their journeys to the U.S., noting that “no one [is] ensuring the safety & security of these children except for the men & women who are on the frontlines daily.”
“Despite the criticism over the years, the reality is that many children are exploited & trafficked, never to be heard from again,” he added.
Texas DPS has rescued more than 900 children as a part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, Olivarez said.
According to Customs and Border Protection data, more than 110,000 unaccompanied minors crossed the border in fiscal year 2024.
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