Border Patrol agents on Thursday rescued a four-month-old and an 18-month-old child who had been abandoned in the heat of the Arizona desert — an incident that officials used to highlight the cruelty and “heartlessness” of people smugglers. Yesterday, smugglers left an infant and a toddler in the Sonoran Desert to die,” Tucson Patrol Chief John Modlin said in a statement. “This is cruelty. And it’s scary.” Modlin praised agents for responding quickly and said the four-month-old infant was found unresponsive when agents reached the children. “Agents found the infant unresponsive; fortunately, we were able to revive him and prevent tragedy,” he said. “The heartless behavior of smugglers cannot be underestimated.” BORDER AGENTS RESCUE IMMIGRANTS TRAPPED IN CANAL, INJURED FIREFIGHTERS NEALI A MILE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN The rescue marks the latest horrific case of children abandoned at the border by smugglers. Unaccompanied children rescued by Border Patrol will typically be transferred to the United States in the care of Health and Human Services. From there they will be flown across the country and reunited with a sponsor or parent if one is already in the country. The practice of abandoning minors was highlighted last year when 5-year-old and 3-year-old sisters were rescued in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, after smugglers threw them below the dam and dumped their belongings. SHOCKING VIDEO OF BROTHERS FALLING ON BORDER WALL CUTS CRITICISM OF BIDEN’S IMMIGRATION POLICY The Arizona desert in the Tucson Sector where two children were rescued by border patrol agents. (US Border Patrol) Border Patrol agents routinely rescue immigrants, adults and children, who are lost or abandoned in the dangerous conditions at parts of the border. On Thursday, agents in Texas rescued two missing migrant women who were suffering from severe dehydration. Agents in the San Diego Sector also rescued two adults, including one who could not walk and had been abandoned by smugglers. It’s one of the tasks facing the agents, who are dealing with a constant immigration flood to the US. There have been no more than 2 million migrant encounters this fiscal year, already surpassing the record 1.7 million encountered last fiscal year. The Biden administration has sought to expand legal asylum pathways and address root causes such as poverty, corruption and climate change in Central America. Republicans and some border officials have blamed the administration’s rollback of Trump-era border security and domestic enforcement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The National Border Patrol Council blamed the administration for the situation involving the two abandoned children — and also said parents should face consequences. “The Biden Admin cannot avoid responsibility for what they are doing to our country and the human misery they are causing to the people they encourage to break our laws,” the union tweeted. “Parents of infants and toddlers who leave them in the care of cartels should be prosecuted for child abuse.” Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, focusing on immigration. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY
