After a six-year separation, a mother and her daughter were reunited when the mother saw a picture of the child crossing the Mexican border
Photo: Google
It had been six years since Glenda Valdez had embraced her toddler Emely in her arms and subsequently departed for America.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, there was an emotional reunion between the woman and the child she had been separated from – all thanks to a photo of the young girl, Emely, featured in a news story about unaccompanied minors coming from Mexico.
In a soft voice, she spoke words of love in Spanish to her 9-year-old daughter. Expressing her gratitude to God, she said, “Thank you.”
Valdez, 26, experienced a happy resolution — at least for the time being — to a difficult tale that originated in Honduras and was mired in an unhappy involvement.
Emely mentioned that her father was not present and had not been providing for them, so when Valdez left in search of a more prosperous life, the girl was left under the care of Valdez’s mom. Nevertheless, Emely’s father eventually reclaimed her.
Valdez reported that she only kept in contact with her daughter infrequently as her father would rather they not talk often. Every so often, Valdez received a video call from her; eventually, Emely informed her that she now had a stepmother who was not being nice to her.
Emely was informed by her father that, due to her unhappiness in her current environment, he had arranged for her to be sent away without disclosing her destination. An adult was assigned to accompany her and care for her during the weeks she spent travelling to the U.S.-Mexico border.
At the start of the day on May 13th, La Joya, Texas saw Border Patrol agents come into contact with Emely. She had been trudging through the underbrush for six hours in the company of unfamiliar people and had lost a shoe, buried in the muck. She was crying inconsolably.
On Sunday, Emely expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of something to drink in Spanish, saying, “I was parched and had no idea where I was headed.”
The agents who stumbled upon her revealed she had no recollection of her mother’s contact number and no idea where her mother resided. In despair, she provided reporters with information she believed could help locate her mom: “Sometimes her hair is curly, other times it’s straightened. Plus, she has a lip ring.”
Valdez declared on Sunday that she had no inkling her kid had been sent to traverse the boundary, although her mother was expecting her.
On a May afternoon in her Austin home, Valdez was viewing a Univision newscast when she spotted her daughter Emely, wearing a red hoodie. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Valdez frantically phoned U.S. authorities, the network, and refugee organizations for help.
Valdez described her experience, “I was so taken aback; just think about it, I was watching the television then seeing my daughter. It broke my heart to hear her crying and saying what she was, that she was so sad and her image shows her barefoot. It was a truly difficult moment.”
Emely mentioned she had been relocated to a group home, yet Valdez was unaware of this and spent weeks not obtaining concrete answers to her queries. She was simply advised to be patient.
Valdez described being traumatized, saying she spent many days weeping while watching her video, looking through her photos and continually crying.
On Wednesday, Emely received an unexpected call; she was being placed in a government shelter. Saturday, she was informed to meet her daughter at the airport the following day. In a bustling arrivals terminal, she hastened to the bottom of the stairs to embrace her daughter.
In March and April, record-breaking numbers of unaccompanied minors entering the United States from Mexico were reported, with nearly 19,000 and 17,200 respectively. Honduras is the second leading country of origin for these children, with one in every three unaccompanied minors coming from there.
In accordance with federal legislation and a long-standing legal agreement, the Department of Health and Human Services is attempting to house unaccompanied minors in the most suitable environment available, which, most of the time, is a parent or a family member already in the U.S. At the end of May, it generally took an average of 35 days to place children in a home; Emely was placed with her mom 10 days earlier than that.
Photo: Google
Youngsters are usually let go with guidance to appear in an immigration tribunal, where a judge will review their pleas for asylum. Resolutions can take an extended period of time – the legal system has a backlog of 1.3 million scenarios.
As Emely awaits her court date, she has taken up residence with Valdez, her partner, and their two daughters. The two girls were thrilled to be able to finally meet their new sister face-to-face, after previously only having interacted virtually.
Valdez is delighted to be re-establishing contact with the young girl she was forced to part with six years ago.
Valdez asserted that the plan is God’s will, and that it involves being together.
I pray we are never torn apart. I want to show my affection that I haven’t been able to before. I want to give her all of the things that she is lacking. All that I can do is provide her with the essentials to ensure she has a better future and can make up for what has happened.
The number of people who rely on a digital device for their everyday activities is on the rise. There is an increasing trend of individuals depending on electronics for communication, work and leisure. Furthermore, more of the population is turning to the internet to access information, shop, and stay connected with others.
Coronado is a part of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative as a corps member. Report for America is a charitable organization that puts reporters in regional newsrooms to cover topics that are not adequately addressed.
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