2-year-old discovered crossing US-Mexico border unaccompanied

A 2-year-old girl was found crossing into the United States at the southern border over the weekend of Nov. 23, with nothing but a piece of paper that had a name and phone number to call. The unaccompanied minor from El Salvador told the Texas state trooper who was caring for her that her parents are already in the United States.

The toddler was one of 60 unaccompanied children who entered the U.S. the morning of Sunday, Nov. 24, in Maverick County, Texas.

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Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez posted videos of many of the children who said where they came from and which state they hoped to get to. 

WATCH: An unaccompanied two-year-old child from El Salvador explains she arrived in the US by herself and that her parents are in the US. The child had a piece of paper with a phone number & name.

This morning, @TxDPS encountered a group of 211 illegal immigrants in Maverick… pic.twitter.com/rXFoqee3Kk

— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) November 24, 2024

“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.”

The journey is extraordinarily dangerous. Migrants have to pass through jungles and deserts, they are exposed to extreme temperatures and often rely on the guide services of smugglers, known as coyotes, who are cartel and gang members.

Once they get to the border, they are at risk of being used by strangers to pose as a family unit, which gives the adult preferential treatment. In fiscal year 2019, Border Patrol agents identified more than 6,200 fraudulent family members. They also discovered instances of parents “renting” their child to people who want to pose as a family so they can be released from custody.

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The Border Patrol apprehended 110,672 unaccompanied minors in fiscal year 2024. 

Those children are put into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement which feeds, shelters and provides medical care for them. They look for sponsors, typically family members, to take custody while they await immigration proceedings.