Salvadoran Toddler Traveled Alone to U.S. Border to Find Parents, Says Texas DPS

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers found a two-year-old Salvadoran migrant girl who they say traveled by herself to the U.S. border with Mexico in search of her parents. The little girl crossed the border from Mexico into Texas with a large group of migrants, including 60 unaccompanied migrant children.

Incoming Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan posted a report showing a two-year-old Salvadoran unaccompanied minor holding a note with a contact name and phone number. He reports that Texas DPS troopers found the little girl in a group of 211 migrants. The group included 59 other unaccompanied migrant children.

The large migrant group crossed the border from Mexico into Maverick County, Texas.

The large migrant group crossing took place early Sunday morning, according to a post on social media by DPS spokesman Lieutenant Chris Olivarez. The DPS spokesman said the 60 unaccompanied migrant children ranged in age from two to 17.

The migrant group also included six more Special Interest Aliens from Mali and 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 wrote. “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,” he continued. ” Despite the criticism over the years, the reality is that many children are exploited & trafficked, never to be heard from again.”

Olivarez said DPS troopers have rescued more than 900 children during Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.