A heartbreaking video has emerged of a 2-year-old migrant girl picked up at the U.S. border, clutching a piece of paper with a name and phone number written on it.
The girl, from El Salvador, told authorities she had crossed the border alone in search of her parents. She was part of a group of over 200 migrants, including 60 unaccompanied minors, detained in Maverick County, Texas.
In the video, the toddler, dressed in a bright pink jacket, is seen answering questions from officers. When asked where she was headed, she replied, “With my mom and dad,” and when asked where they were, she said, “United States.”
The child showed the officers a small piece of yellow paper with a name and number written on it, which officials believe may be a contact for her parents.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials highlighted the danger children face when trafficked across the border, with Lt. Chris Olivarez noting the child’s journey as a stark example of the criminal organizations involved. He stressed that exposing children to such dangerous situations is unacceptable, regardless of political opinions.
This incident comes amid a troubling rise in the number of migrant children entering the U.S., with over 529,000 minors reported under the Biden administration. A recent report revealed that more than 320,000 migrant children who crossed the border without parents have gone missing.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump’s border enforcer, Tom Homan, has pledged to crack down on illegal crossings, including plans to involve the U.S. military in deportations.
