Farmer Says He Found Migrant Girl Naked and Abandoned at Border

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A Texas farmer says he discovered five migrant children — including a naked infant who could not yet walk — abandoned on his property near the Rio Grande.

The discovery: Rep. Tony Gonzalez, a Texas Republican, posted a video of an interview with the farmer in Quemado, Texas on Monday.

  • The man found the girls on Sunday while driving on his land and said the minors were “by themselves, hungry, crying,” but could not get through to Customs and Border Protection because “they’re probably snowed under, and don’t have enough help either.”
  • While the wife of one of the farmer’s employees brought food and water out for the girls, the farmer called the local constable, who was then able to get in touch with CBP.
  • “I don’t think they would have made it if I hadn’t found them,” he said. “It got up to 103 yesterday.”

The response: CBP released a statement saying the ages of the girls, who were Honduran and Guatemalan, were 7, 5, 3, 2, and 11 months.

  • “It is heartbreaking to find such small children fending for themselves in the middle of nowhere,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Austin L. Skero II. “Unfortunately this happens far too often now.”

The crisis: The first months of President Joe Biden’s term have seen an influx of migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

  • Authorities found 19,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico in March alone.
  • Critics say the Biden administration’s changes to Trump-era arrangements, like ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy, have aggravated the crisis.
  • But Democrats have also faced mounting criticism for making peace with Trump-era immigration policies continued by Biden.
By We'll Do It Live