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U.S. NEWS Friday 22 June 2018
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FIRST LADY and are often distraught.
Continued from Front They attend school five
"She wanted to see every- days a week and have a
thing for herself," Grisham variety of activities.
said. "We just have a tremen-
Third-graders at the facility dous passion for working
welcomed the first lady with with these children," said
a large paper American program director Roy De
flag they'd signed taped La Cerda. "We see them as
to a wall. With the words, our own."
"Welcome! First Lady" writ- President Trump had come
ten in black marker across under pressure to stop the
the red and white bars, Mrs. practice of separating fam-
Trump also signed the flag, ilies, including from GOP
which the children gave to allies and the first lady her-
her. Next to the flag on the self, following a public out-
classroom walls: A drawing cry sparked by widespread
of a flowering plant, a but- images of children held in
terfly, a hummingbird and fence-like structures. Plans
a heart, with the words, for a visit to a second facil-
"New Hope, We Love You ity where children housed
All, Staff" written in cursive. in cages were seen by The
Visiting another classroom, Associated Press last week
Mrs. Trump asked children were canceled because of
where they were from, if flooding.
they were friends and how The trip was intended to
long they'd been at the lend support to some of the
center where staff said chil- more than 2,300 children First lady Melania Trump visits the Upbring New Hope Children Center, run by the Lutheran Social
dren typically spend be- who remain separated from Services of the South, in McAllen, Texas, Thursday, June 21, 2018.
tween 42 and 45 days. The their parents, Grisham said. Associated Press
children responded, some- In addition to the meetings
times in English, other times with staff and children, Mrs. since May, remains. first lady is on child well-be- "My wife feels very strongly
in Spanish, many of them Trump also was briefed on When asked Thursday if the ing, appears to have been about it," he told reporters
wearing gray T-shirts with the children's medical care first lady supports the poli- among those pushing her after he signed the order.
the red, white and blue by nursing staff. cy, Grisham said, "She sup- husband to act. The pair of statements from
words "We Are One." She The president had insisted ports that the law should Grisham released a state- the first lady amounted to
told children to "be kind incorrectly that his admin- be followed." ment last weekend saying an unusual public inter-
and nice to each other" as istration had no choice but The trip came together the first lady "hates" to see vention by Mrs. Trump into
she left for another class- to separate families ap- within the past 48 hours, children separated from a policy debate. Her four
room. prehended at the border Grisham said. their families and "believes former living predecessors,
The first lady thanked the because children cannot "She told her staff she want- we need to be a country seemingly encouraged af-
staff for their "heroic work" go to jail with adults who ed to go and we made that follows all laws, but ter Laura Bush authored
and asked them to reunite are being criminally pros- that happen," she said. also a country that governs a scathing opinion piece,
the children with their fami- ecuted for crossing the President Trump spilled the with heart." followed with sharper com-
lies as quickly as possible. border illegally. Trump had beans about his wife's trip Hours before Trump used mentary of their own con-
In a makeshift conference said only Congress could fix to the border before it was his executive order to halt demning the family separa-
room, Mrs. Trump met with the problem and he spe- announced, telling report- family separations, a White tions as shameful.
staff from New Hope, HHS cifically pointed a finger at ers during a Cabinet meet- House official let it be The last-minute trip to Texas
and border patrol, asking Democrats. ing: "My wife, our first lady, known that Mrs. Trump had marks the first public ac-
several questions about the He reversed course is down now at the border been voicing her opinion to tion by Mrs. Trump since
children's welfare and ask- Wednesday by signing because it really bothered the president for some time, she announced in May an
ing that the children be re- the order ending separa- her to be looking at this including that he needed initiative named "Be Best"
united with their families "as tions and keeping families and seeing it, as it both- to help families stay to- to focus on the overall well-
quickly as possible." together when they are ered me, as it bothered ev- gether. The official refused being of children and help
New Hope staff reassured in custody, at least for the erybody at this table. We're to be identified discussing teach them kindness. She
Mrs. Trump, who was ac- next few weeks. The ad- all bothered by it." Grisham Trump's private conversa- had been expected to
companied by Health and ministration's "zero-toler- said that the first lady had tions with his wife. travel to promote the cam-
Human Services secretary ance" policy of criminally the full backing of her hus- Trump acknowledged paign but was sidelined a
Alex Azar, that the children prosecuting illegal border- band. "She told him 'I am Wednesday that the moth- week after the announce-
are assessed for physical crossers, which has led to headed down to Texas' er of his 12-year-old son, ment following surgery
and mental health issues the removal of some 2,300 and he was supportive." Barron, had been prodding to treat a benign kidney
when they enter the facility children from their parents Mrs. Trump, whose focus as him. condition.q