Toddler abandoned at the border in the middle of the night, loses shoes in the mud

ROMA, Texas (Gray News) – A 2-year-old boy was abandoned near the Rio Grande border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The little boy lost his shoes in the mud while crossing and was traveling within a group of 38 individuals.

Authorities say the toddler was medically screened and was in good health.

Agents found a birth certificate on the boy with the father’s information handwritten on the back.

According to CBP, agents have encountered over 38,000 noncitizen unaccompanied children in the first six months of the fiscal year 2022, outpacing encounters for the same reporting period last year.

Many of the children are very young and aren’t able to provide names or phone numbers of family members, so agents must rely on information written on clothing or notes found on the child to locate next of kin.