On Thursday, first lady Melania Trump took a last minute trip to visit a housing facility in Texas for migrant children separated from their parents. But her choice to wear a jacket with the words “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?” on it drew the most attention from critics.
The trip comes one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the separation of immigrant families upon crossing the U.S-Mexico border. He first announced the visit at a White House Cabinet meeting, saying that Melania Trump had gone to the border “because it really bothered her to be looking at this and seeing it, as it bothered me.”
Melania was joined by other members of the media as she toured the Upbring New Hope Children’s Shelter located in McAllen, Texas. The facility is operated by Lutheran Social Services and is overseen by the Department of Health and Human services.
According to CNN, Melania questioned the facility as to its practices, asking how often the children speak to their families by telephone, how they are emotionally cared for on arrival and how long they stay at the facility before being transferred. She also visited the facility’s classrooms to stop and personally interact with the children.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.
“She wanted to see everything for herself. … She supports family reunification. She thinks that it’s important that children stay with their families” said Trump’s spokewoman, Stephanie Grisham.
50 Celebrities Who Have Died In 2018 – Tribute Slideshow
Grisham also emphasized Melania’s initiative in undertaking the trip. “This was 100 percent her idea. She absolutely wanted to come and did not change her mind after the executive order was issued,” she said.
Melania has previously expressed her interest in helping children through her “Be Best” platform. It focuses on supporting children through promoting health and well-being, fighting opioid abuse and encouraging greater positivity on social media.
SLIDESHOW: DONALD TRUMP’S 30 CRAZIEST TWEETS
Some have since argued that the visit was not an accurate representation of those affected by the family separations. According to the facility’s directors, the majority of children had not been separated from their families at the border. All but six had arrived at the border without their parents.
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banned noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote. The…
A proposed bill in California would prohibit security screening company CLEAR from skipping the general…
On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over a challenge to a law allowing…
The Arizona House of Representatives failed to advance a repeal of the state's 160-year-old abortion…
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill restoring criminal charges in cases of hard drug possession.…
President Joe Biden's administration announced the first-ever national limits on toxic "forever chemicals" in drinking water. This…