A father and his 23-months-old daughter from El Salvador drowned in the Rio Grande while trying to illegally enter the United States from Mexico on Sunday as the wife/mother watched helplessly from the Mexico side.
The Associated Press decided to publish a series of graphic photos, originally published by La Jornada, taken Monday by journalist Julia Le Duc as Mexican officials recovered the bodies:
Photo of drowned father, child adds to immigration debate https://t.co/sGxO9nldMD
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) June 25, 2019
This is such a chilling photograph. A Salvadoran family decided to take the risk of swimming across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Mexico, and the father and his two-year-old daughter got swept away by a current and drowned. The way that she is tucked in his shirt: hearbreaking
. pic.twitter.com/t0yBKjsrgf— Deborah Sontag (@debsontag) June 25, 2019
A horrific photo of drowned father and toddler daughter highlights the migrants crisis. Her arm was draped around her dad's neck suggesting she clung to him in her final moments. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT https://t.co/YT43lsb9xy pic.twitter.com/vDmWmYu4nC
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) June 25, 2019
Photo of drowned father, daughter renews immigration outrage https://t.co/SHLExmrKQi pic.twitter.com/f1FTjv2qPf
— SFGATE (@SFGate) June 25, 2019
The full series of photos by Julia Le Duc can be seen at this link.
Viewer screen images show MSNBC and CNN aired the photo unblurred.
A father was denied asylum and told to wait in Mexico. In desperation he tried to cross the Rio Grand and drowned with his daughter. This photo was not only hard for me to post, it’s devastating to look at. There must be, there has to be, a better way. pic.twitter.com/Z41rZPf2bi
— Cal Miller (@anymeanscal) June 25, 2019
#currentlywatching CNN: Father and daughter, drowned crossing the Rio Grande from Matamoros pic.twitter.com/j0xIEzstLA
— New stories in @JJournalNYC @thecitronreview (@mariannevill714) June 26, 2019
The man and his 23-month-old daughter lay face down in shallow water along the bank of the Rio Grande, his black shirt hiked up to his chest with the girl’s head tucked inside. Her arm was draped around his neck suggesting she clung to him in her final moments.
The searing photograph of the sad discovery of their bodies on Monday, captured by journalist Julia Le Duc and published by Mexican newspaper La Jornada, highlights the perils faced by mostly Central American migrants fleeing violence and poverty and hoping for asylum in the United States.
According to Le Duc’s reporting for La Jornada, Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, frustrated because the family from El Salvador was unable to present themselves to U.S. authorities and request asylum, swam across the river on Sunday with his daughter, Valeria.
He set her on the U.S. bank of the river and started back for his wife, Tania Vanessa Ávalos, but seeing him move away the girl threw herself into the waters. Martínez returned and was able to grab Valeria, but the current swept them both away.
…The search for Martínez and his daughter was suspended Sunday due to darkness, and their bodies were discovered the next morning near Matamoros, Mexico, across from Brownsville, Texas, several hundred yards (meters) from where they had tried to cross and just a half-mile (1 kilometer) from an international bridge.
End excerpt. Please read the complete AP report at this link.
And of course liberals and the media pounced.
Oscar and Valeria drowned in the river between Mexico & Texas. They were driven to cross the river out of desperation – only after they tried to legally seek asylum.
They should be safe in the US. Instead, they are dead because of Trump’s cruel policies.https://t.co/NhMN4Ovzl2
— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) June 25, 2019
Picture of a Dad & his baby drowned in Rio Grande, her arm draped around his neck… it highlights migrants' travesty.
Another Alan Kurdi.
As Trump brutalizes & tortures kids for political gain…Republicans’ remaining collective morality dies. https://t.co/1VnPg7KeVd— Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) June 25, 2019
To everyone understandably hoping this devastating image of the drowned father and his young daughter might finally appeal to people’s humanity: You can’t appeal to something that doesn’t exist. pic.twitter.com/Z7svgFIyuN
— Nick Wing (@nickpwing) June 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/JamieOGrady/status/1143620138698256384
Trump responds to images and visual cues. At the time, his aides said the gruesome photos of gassed Syrian children persuaded him to launch Tomahawk strikes against Assad. (https://t.co/DlIy29L71j) Will be interesting to see if this photo moves him. https://t.co/Lw70EIzMtO
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) June 25, 2019
https://twitter.com/themaxburns/status/1143622828228534273
A photo of a dead father and daughter shows the true nature of Trump’s immigration policy, @zackbeauchamp argues: https://t.co/nfQOpNPyFE
— Vox (@voxdotcom) June 25, 2019
It is indeed sad and shameful the girl and her father drowned. But the shame is not on President Trump and those who support his efforts to secure the border and reform our immigration laws.
Prayers for the father and daughter, the mother and their family.
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