Heartbreaking Video Shows Divided Families Hug for 3 Minutes At The Border
More than 300 divided families from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas met at the dried-up riverbed of the Rio Grande, the body of water separating the United States and Mexico, for approximately three minutes.
The "Hugs Not Walls" event, which was the fourth organized by the non-profit group, Border Network for Human Rights, had the largest turnout thus far.
"Thanks to everyone who made this possible because three minutes are enough to show how much love runs in the family," one of the participants told local media.
Hundreds of people from families separated by the US-Mexico border attended a reunion event dubbed "Hugs Not Walls" https://t.co/XhyeI0p98m pic.twitter.com/3kBFQ6Bmf9
— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 25, 2017
BNHR Executive Director Fernando Garcia stated that the organization's mission is, in large part, to give families the chance to be reunited.
At the same time, Mr. Garcia mentioned that the event is a demonstration of sorts where people are expressing their strong disapproval of a border wall that tears families apart.
"We need to bring attention to those families that have been in detention, deported and separated [from] their family members."
BNHR representatives engaged and worked closely with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to facilitate the event.
Many of those who were able to spend some time with their children, parents, siblings, and other relatives had not done so in decades.
In the face of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, the three-minute reunion has drawn attention to the extreme lengths families will go to be together.
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