A Venezuelan migrant illegally crossed the Rio Grande river into Texas with his pregnant wife and three-year-old daughter.
The wife went into labor on the US side after their arrival in Eagle Pass.
While waiting for border patrol, the husband disclosed to reporters that they crossed without legal permission because they did not want to wait.
The National Guard transported the wife to a hospital for treatment.
“He was saying that his wife was pregnant, that her water broke… here on this side while they were waiting,” Lt. Chris Olivarez said. “National Guard took her to the hospital to get her medical treatment.”
“To be that far in your pregnancy, they have to know more or less when she is going to give birth in order to cross on this side and cross here in the United States,” he said.
A border patrol officer confirmed the child would gain US citizenship if born on American soil.
He noted many migrants time their crossings to give birth in the US. Prior to Texas interventions, the area saw thousands released into the country each day after turning themselves over to border agents.
Now, most face trespassing charges, deportation, or waiting for border patrol to intervene only in medical emergencies.
“We see that a lot — where a lot of pregnant females who are coming across, they will wait usually, when they are about to give birth. Then they’ll cross into the United States and they’ll have the baby that same day. or they’ll have it right at the river as they are crossing.”
“They want to get caught,” Olivarez said, “They know the system, they’re looking for border control because they know the process already: come across, look for the green uniform and turn yourself in … chances are you’re going to get released into the country.”
“They use the children in those types of situations because they know, obviously, that there is a human side to us,” Olivarez said.
“It’s maybe just about shoulder height for an average person…one misstep and it’s going to take you under, or the current is going to take you, especially with a child,” he said. “There’s really no way to rescue that child because the current is so strong.”
“I understand they are desperate, but they are really placing their children in danger, especially crossing the river,” he said.
The officer criticized endangering the young child but said the federal government was not preventing crossings.
“To them, it’s fine. When it involves the state of Texas when we put up barriers, well that’s inhumane or that’s cruel, yet we are trying to prevent people from crossing so we don’t see situations like this, so we don’t have anyone drowning, especially children. We’re the only ones really trying to prevent that,” he said.
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