Earlier this month a video showing smugglers abandoning two little girls near Sunland Park, New Mexico gained the nation’s attention, now these two girls are a step closer to reuniting with their parents.
The girls’ ages 3 and 5 were identified as Yareli and Yasmina from Ecuador, have been released from Border Patrol custody and placed in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.
“A caseworker from HHS will begin to work with them. Most of the time they reach out to family members for interviews and vetting to make sure there’s a safe place for the child. Most of the time they try to place them with a family member – a parent, an uncle, or somebody else. And if that’s not available, they try to place them in foster care,” said Landon Hutchens, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The little girls’ parents Diego Vacacela and Yolanda Macas live in New York City and the girls are expected to meet with them soon.
