First lady Melania Trump arrived in Texas Thursday morning for a surprise visit to children being held at the border by her husband’s administration.
‘Melania Trump has arrived in McAllen, Texas to take part in briefings and tours at a nonprofit social services center for children who have entered the United States illegally and a customs and border patrol processing center,’ her communications director Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
‘Her goals are to thank law enforcement and social services providers for their hard work, lend support and hear more on how the administration can build upon the already existing efforts to reunite children with their families.’
She will tour two facilities, both in McAllen, which is on the border: The Ursula Border Patrol Processing Center, a Customs and Border Patrol/DHS intake center where migrant families spend a few days; and Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter, part of Lutheran Social Services.
On the border: Melania Trump visits the Upbring New Hope Children Center, run by the Lutheran Social Services of the South, in McAllen, Texas, an unexpected visit the day after her husband ended the policy of family separation at the border
Side by side: The First lady traveled with Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, for the trip which was also to a border processing center
Explanation: Officials from the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center spoke to the First Lady before she toured the facility to meet children
Round table talks: Melania Trump heard from doctors, social workers and law enforcement at the Upbring New Hope Children’s Center in McAllen, Texas
Inspection: Melania Trump toured the child shelter in McAllen, Texas, where 55 children are being held after crossing the border. The ‘majority’ did so unaccompanied, but it is unclear how many were taken from their parents
Artwork: The First Lady, making her first solo trip outside Washington D.C. since she had kidney surgery, looked at art on the walls of the children’s shelter in McAllen, Texas, where children are being held after crossing the border
Visit: Melania Trump made an unexpected trip to Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter, where 55 children are currently being held
Concern: The First Lady said she was at the shelter to say ‘thank you for your hard work, your compassion, your kindness in these hard times’
Melania Trump arrived in Texas to visit children at a ‘tender age’ shelter where children including some separated from their families at the border are being held
Surprise: The visit was not disclosed in advance but comes after the First Lady pressured her husband to end the policy of forced separations
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is traveling with her.
Mrs. Trump asked her staff on Tuesday to plan a trip as soon as possible – before President Trump signed the executive order, although Grisham wasn’t sure if Mrs. Trump knew that the order was coming.
‘I don’t know what she knew. She knew what she wanted to do and she told us,’ Grisham said.
‘She wanted to see everything for herself…. She supports family reunification. She thinks that it’s important that children stay with their families.’
‘This was 100 percent her idea. She absolutely wanted to come.’
And it was her idea before POTUS signed the executive order, Grisham said, and she had no second thoughts after the order was signed.
‘She wants to see what’s happening for herself and she wants to lend her support, executive order or not. The executive order certainly is helping pave the way a little bit, but there’s still a lot to be done.’
President Trump supported this trip but he didn’t send her.
‘This was her decision. She told her staff she wanted to go and we made that happen. He is supportive of it but she told him, “I’m headed down to Texas,’ and he supported it.’
‘She wants to see these children and she wants to help children. It’s not about anything more than that…. She wants to see what’s real. She wants to see a realistic view.’
Dress down: The First Lady flew to McAllen, Texas, dressed in Adidas Sam Smith shoes, white pants, a creme button down safari shirt and a green jacket
Sober trip: Melania Trump said she was in Texas to thank social workers and law enforcement for their work ‘in these hard times’
Husband’s blessing: Donald Trump, who held a cabinet meeting in the White House while his wife toured the facility, supported her visit, the First Lady’s spokeswoman said
Frenzy on the border: At the same time as the First Lady was in McAllen, Democratic mayors and activists were holding a rally at the Tornillo port of entry near El Paso, protesting family separations