BORDER/CHILDREN/IMMIGRATION/MELANIA/TEXAS: “First lady Melania Trump visited a child immigrant detention center near the nation’s border in Texas on Thursday [6-21-18], amid a continuing political crisis over the handling of children and adults arriving there in pursuit of asylum. Mrs. Trump’s surprise visit was announced by President Donald Trump at a cabinet meeting with reporters. Speaking at a detention center in McAllen, Texas, Mrs. Trump thanked the officials working at the facility..Mrs. Trump asked officials a series of questions, including how often the children were allowed to communicate with their families—twice a week, an official responded—and what condition the children typically arrived in. She also asked how long children usually stayed at the facilities, and was told the average time was between 42 and 45 days, with the exception of children who don’t have families to return to and stay in the system until they receive refugee status. Mrs. Trump’s visit to the border marks one of her most high-profile acts since becoming the first lady and focusing on children’s issues. “
-Louise Radnofsky and Rebecca Ballhaus, “First Lady Melania Trump Visits Child Detention Center in Texas,” The Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2018 3:46 pm