(NewsNation) — A 2-year-old girl from El Salvador, traveling alone with nothing more than a piece of paper bearing a phone number, was found by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials, spotlighting the growing crisis of unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S. southern border.
Lt. Chris Olivarez told NewsNation that the child was part of a larger group of 60 unaccompanied minors encountered in Eagle Pass ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old. The toddler carried a single piece of paper with a phone number and a name, claiming her parents were already in the United States.
“We don’t know who this little girl is going to end up with or who is that person behind that phone number,” Olivarez said.
An August Department of Homeland Security report revealed that more than 32,000 unaccompanied children failed to attend immigration hearings between 2019 and 2023, with another nearly 300,000 never receiving a court date.
The child was examined for signs of abuse and turned over to Border Patrol, with her ultimate destination uncertain.
Olivarez speculated that increased migration might be linked to potential political changes, suggesting “desperation to get more kids across by themselves” as a new administration approaches.
The Texas DPS reported encountering 211 immigrants in Maverick County, including the 60 unaccompanied children and six immigrants from Mali and Angola.
“This is a stark example of the precarious journey these children make,” Olivarez said in a post on X, highlighting the risks of human trafficking and the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors.
The agency claims to have rescued over 900 children during Operation Lone Star from potential abandonment and human smuggling.
Last week, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, released a report claiming that “failures” by President Joe Biden’s administration have led to the “exploitation and abuse of migrant children.”
Cassidy launched a formal investigation more than a year and a half ago into the administration’s policies on the treatment and care of unaccompanied children after he said he noticed an alarming rise in illegal child labor.
NewsNation’s Damita Menezes contributed to this report.