Melania Trump set for second trip to immigration facilities

ByCNN
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Melania Trump walks to her vehicle as she arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, June 21, 2018, after visiting the Upbring New Hope Children Center in Texas.
AP-AP

First lady Melania Trump will again pay a visit to immigration facilities in coming days, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed to CNN.

"Yes, Mrs. Trump plans to visit additional facilities sometime this week," Grisham said when asked whether a second trip is in the works.

It is not known where exactly Trump plans to go but it is likely the first lady will see first-hand an immigration processing detention center as had been part of her plan in McAllen, Texas, last Thursday, before flooding conditions prevented her from going.

Trump "wants to continue to check on children," her communications director said. "The first lady is moved by what she is hearing, and what she saw in Texas, and she wants to again see and listen for herself what is happening in these places."

Since her husband's administration began enforcing the "zero-tolerance" immigration policy several weeks ago, more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents at the border.

Last Thursday, Trump spent about one hour meeting with staff and touring the Upbring New Hope Children's Shelter in McAllen, a Department of Health and Human Services-assisted facility that houses and cares for unaccompanied minors who have entered the country illegally until they can be placed with family or volunteers.

Trump visited with some of the 55 children at the shelter, about 10% of whom had been separated from their parents at a border intake facility. The first lady stopped in to three classrooms where the children, ranging in age from 12 to 17, were having lessons.

The first lady's trip last Thursday was overshadowed by a sartorial decision she made to wear a $39 Zara jacket emblazoned on the back with the words "I really don't care. Do U?" for the departure from and return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. She did not wear the jacket while in Texas.

As debate about the controversial jacket unfolded, Grisham said in a statement: "It's a jacket. There was no hidden message. After today's important visit to Texas, I hope the media isn't going to choose to focus on her wardrobe."

But upon Melania Trump's return to Washington, the President tweeted a contradictory message.

" 'I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?' written on the back of Melania's jacket, refers to the Fake News Media. Melania has learned how dishonest they are, and she truly no longer cares!" he tweeted.