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Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

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Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities

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Smugglers abandoned two migrant children at the southern border in Texas this week, fleeing back to Mexico as Texas authorities came to the little girls’ rescue, amid continued concerns about the numbers of unaccompanied minors coming across the border.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said that its troopers had recovered the two little girls, who are five and nine years old, after the smuggler had abandoned them and fled back to Mexico.

The girls, from El Salvador, carried only a note with an address and phone number, and were then referred to U.S. Border Patrol.

ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE

Texas troopers rescued two girls abandoned at the southern border. (Texas Department of Public Safety.)

The incident taps into ongoing concerns about unaccompanied migrant children coming across the border, with numbers increasing significantly during the recent migrant crisis.

There have been a number of incidents of abandoned children being rescued, often with phone numbers or addresses of relatives or others written on paper or stitched into clothing. When children arrive unaccompanied, they are transferred eventually to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and released to sponsors in the U.S.

A National Guard soldier stands guard on the banks of the Rio Grande at Shelby Park on January 12, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The issue made headlines earlier this year when the DHS Office of Inspector General sent a report to Congress finding that, over the past five years, more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children [UCs] had not shown up for immigration court hearings, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not account for the location of all of those who did not appear.

“During our ongoing audit to assess ICE’s ability to monitor the location and status of UCs who were released or transferred from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we learned ICE transferred more than 448,000 UCs to HHS from fiscal years 2019 to 2023,” the internal watchdog reported.

TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM EYES EXPANSION OF ANKLE MONITORS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT IN CUSTODY

“However, ICE was not able to account for the location of all UCs who were released by HHS and did not appear as scheduled in immigration court. ICE reported more than 32,000 UCs failed to appear for their immigration court hearings from FYs 2019 to 2023,” it said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The watchdog also found that approximately 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children have not yet been marked for removal proceedings, because ICE has routinely failed to schedule immigration court dates and serve notices.

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ICEs FY 2024 report found that, despite the surge of more than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children into the U.S. during the Biden administration, just 411 were removed in FY 2024, an increase from the 212 in FY 2023. For comparison, more than 4,000 were removed in FY 2022.

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Dallas, TX

Downtown Dallas Inc. backs relocating aging City Hall, redevelopment of site

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Downtown Dallas Inc. backs relocating aging City Hall, redevelopment of site

Downtown Dallas Inc. announced Friday that it backs the potential relocation of City Hall and redevelopment of that site, adding support to a high-stakes decision about the city’s urban core.

“DDI believes this is a generational opportunity to modernize and elevate how Dallas delivers public services,” said its president and CEO, Jennifer Scripps. “But we must be equally clear: Any future City Hall belongs within the highway loop in downtown.”

She said the current building “is no longer serving its intended purpose,” adding that key government functions are “inefficient — truly stymied in that space.”

Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., delivers opening comments... — Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., delivers opening comments during the group’s annual meeting at the Fairmont Dallas on Feb. 27, 2026.
Steve Hamm

DDI, a nonprofit, promotes downtown Dallas, and its board voted unanimously this week to back the course outlined by the City Council’s Finance Committee, Scripps said at the group’s annual meeting at the Fairmont Dallas.

That committee this week asked city staff to shift 311, 911 and emergency operations to a new government center as soon as possible, explore moving all other functions and pursue redevelopment options for the current site at 1500 Marilla St.

Downtown business interests favor redevelopment of the property for mixed-use projects and other ideas, while preservationists have called for protecting the I.M. Pei-designed building.

Last year, City Council members directed City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to assess the building’s condition. She engaged the nonprofit Dallas Economic Development Corp. to lead the review.

The EDC’s report, released last week, found that fully repairing and modernizing City Hall could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion over 20 years.

DDI also is urging city leaders to pursue a redevelopment strategy for the existing site that builds on major public investments already underway downtown, including:

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters
Dallas College
Memorial Auditorium, the planned future home of the Dallas Wings

Scripps said downtown offers assets that could be repurposed to consolidate city functions and improve public access.

She also said the organization hopes the Mavericks basketball team and Stars hockey team remain in or near downtown, “where they belong.”

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Miami, FL

North Miami Beach 6-year-old who was allegedly severely abused dies: Family

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

North Miami Beach 6-year-old who was allegedly severely abused dies: Family

A 6-year-old boy with autism who police said was severely abused by his mother’s boyfriend in North Miami Beach has died after spending weeks in the hospital, family members said.

The boy, Mason, had been hospitalized in critical condition last month, but his grandmother told NBC6 on Friday that he’d been taken off a ventilator and passed away.

Police had responded to a home in the 1400 block of Northeast 179th Street for a report of a child in cardiac arrest.

In body camera footage released by police, Mason was seen wrapped in a blanket and had no detectable pulse.

North Miami Beach Police, Family Photo

Mason

Mason was given CPR until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived and regained a pulse, and he was taken to Jackson North Hospital in critical condition.

Doctors reported internal bleeding in the brain, lacerations to the liver and kidney, a broken arm, and bruises covering his entire body.

His mother’s boyfriend, 34-year-old Daniel Eduardo Romero, was accused of severely abusing the boy, and was later arrested on charges including aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm involving torture, child neglect causing great bodily harm, and tampering with a victim.

According to an arrest report, Romero gave conflicting stories about how Mason was injured, first claiming he was teaching the boy how to ride a bicycle when he fell, then changing his story and claiming they were using a wagon.

Romero said the boy didn’t appear to be seriously injured and medical care was not sought but he woke up lethargic the next day and progressively weakened and when he became unresponsive they called 911, the report said.

The boy’s mother, 32-year-old Cynthia Hernandez, was later arrested on charges including child neglect, failure to report child neglect and providing a false statement to law enforcement, officials said.

Police had previously said Hernandez was cooperating with the investigation and told officers Romero would become frustrated with Mason because of his neurodevelopmental condition. Records also show Romero has two prior convictions for domestic violence.

In the arrest report, Hernandez told detectives that Romero had a short temper and anger problems.

Hernandez’s attorney criticized her arrest, saying she was also a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Romero.

Her mother also said Hernandez was a domestic violence victim.

Romero pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond while he awaits trial. It’s unknown whether he’ll face new charges following Mason’s death.

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Atlanta, GA

Soccer Frenzy: Cities, Fans, and What to Know | Futbol HQ

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Soccer Frenzy: Cities, Fans, and What to Know | Futbol HQ

With the World Cup just months away, host cities ramp up preparations for a global surge of fans. Philadelphia takes center stage as the World Cup draws closer. From major fan event changes and security planning to base camps and short-term rentals, here’s what to know ahead of the matches.

Posted February 27, 2026 5:19pm EST

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