Abandoned Migrant Toddler Found Along Texas Bank of Rio Grande

Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector were startled to find a small child within a group of 47 migrants arrested near Havana, Texas, Sunday. Migrants within the group claim to have found the toddler on the banks of the Rio Grande. The three-year-old was unable to speak to Border Patrol agents at the scene and had no identity documents.

The child was only able to say, “Mama” and “Papa” when interviewed by agents. Later, they discovered a phone number written on the child’s shirt. The agents were able to contact a woman, claiming to be the mother. The woman reportedly informed agents the 3-year-old came from Honduras.

The child will be turned over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who will finalize transfer of the child to the mother once the relationship is confirmed. This child was one of 420 unaccompanied children encountered by the Border Patrol nationwide on Monday.

Hundreds of similar situations are playing out across the southwest border daily as migrants self-separate from their children to avoid return to their home country as a complete family unit. In many cases, the parents will illegally enter the United States after HHS has found sponsors for the unaccompanied children.

According to CBP, more than 140,000 unaccompanied migrant children were encountered in Fiscal Year 2021. During the month of October, 12,647 were apprehended nationwide. Of those, nearly 7,000 were found in the Rio Grande Valley Sector alone.

Once family members or sponsors within the United States are located by HHS, all the unaccompanied migrant children are released. As of Monday, HHS is detaining more than 12,300 migrant children awaiting sponsorship. Another 1,000 are in Border Patrol custody awaiting transfer to HHS.

Findings documented within a recent Congressional Research Service report identify the discontinuance of removals under the Title 42 COVID-19 emergency order as the likely cause of the surge in unaccompanied migrant children. The report found that migrant family units are voluntarily sending their children into the United States alone.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.