Woman desperate for answers after daughter and granddaughter detained and separated at border
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A grandmother is desperate to find her daughter and granddaughter after they were caught and separated trying to cross the border.
Maria Alvarez says on May 29, her daughter, Melissa Flores tried to cross the border with her 5-year-old daughter Danna.
"I haven't talked to my daughter or my granddaughter. I don't even know where they are," said Alvarez, a Honduran immigrant who has lived in Houston for 13 years.
She says her daughter tried to cross the border seeking political asylum. Flores' border patrol paperwork shows she was arrested and separated from her daughter.
Naimeh Salem, the family's attorney, says she believes Flores has been transported to New Mexico, and little Diana is somewhere in Texas, possibly at a San Antonio area processing center waiting for placement.
"I've never seen anything like this before," said Salem, whose firm represents many immigrants in detention, but up until this month, did not have any young children separated. "People come here desperate, and they're just crying. They just want to know where their child is."
The Flores family says they had no idea that the mother and daughter would be separated if they crossed the border.
Alvarez says at the very least, she wants federal authorities to release the little girl to her.
"I just want to help, so I can have my daughter, also with her daughter," said Alvarez.
Salem says the Flores family case just highlights the issue that there are many children who were already separated and reunification is difficult.
"They're small children. They don't even know a cell phone number," said Salem.
