First lady Melania Trump toured a center for migrant children in Tuscon, Arizona, Thursday.
Officials gave her a tour of the facility, about two hours from the U.S.-Mexico border. It is described as a short-term holding center for migrant minors.
Trump also attended a roundtable discussion and a private briefing at an intelligence operations center within the facility, CNN reports.
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
“I’m here to support you and give my help, whatever I can” on “behalf of children and the families,” Trump said.
White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told the Associated Press that the first lady is meeting with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, ranchers and children.
The first lady wants to learn about how her husband’s strict immigration policy is playing out on the ground, Grisham said.
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, located near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, is a series of rooms in a semicircle, with windows out into the center control room.
The doors were open, with people inside, according to the AP.
One young woman inside a room labeled “families” was holding a young child.
Just outside the rooms was a cart with baskets of juice, applesauce and crackers.
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
While listening to officials talk to her about the facility, Trump noticed a very small boy who darted out of the room and stared at her.
“How are you?” she said, smiling.
It's the first lady's second trip to the border amid continued outrage over her husband's now-suspended policy of separating migrant children from their families when they cross the border illegally.
Many have yet to be reunited.
Trump’s first trip to a migrant facility in Texas was overshadowed by a jacket she wore during the trip.
The back of the jacket read, “I really don’t care, do u?”
Credit: Chip Somodevilla
Credit: Chip Somodevilla
The first lady's spokeswoman said there had been no hidden message.
During Thursday’s visit to the Tuscon facility, the first lady wore a black sweater, white slacks and flat shoes when she boarded her jet at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
She changed into sneakers en route.
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
Credit: Carolyn Kaster
More than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents at the border in recent weeks.
Some have been placed in government-contracted shelters hundreds of miles away from their parents.
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order to halt the separation of families at the border, at least for a few weeks, but the order did not address the reunification of families already separated.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that thousands of migrant children and parents be reunited within 30 days -- and sooner if the child is under 5 years old. The order poses logistical problems for the administration, and it was unclear how it would meet the deadline.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
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