(RNN) - A photo of a little girl crying as border agents searched her mother became a symbol of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy.
The policy resulted in around 2,300 children being taken from their parents or guardians in the last two months and placed in shelters around the country, as the adults await prosecution for crossing illegally from Mexico. On Friday, it was reported the girl from the Getty Images picture and Time cover was not among the separated kids.
The Washington Post spoke with the girl's father, Denis Javier Varela Hernandez. He said he learned that his wife and child, who left from Honduras, had been detained at the same McAllen, TX, facility.
Honduran deputy foreign minister Nelly Jerez confirmed the father's account to Reuters.
Getty photographer John Moore took the photo, and he had said that Sandra Sanchez and her daughter Yanela were taken away together. Time placed the girl in front of President Donald Trump looking down at her, with the title "Welcome to America."
No major news outlet reported that the family was separated, although Time had to correct its story. It originally stated the girl was carried from the scene by border agents.
Moore said in interviews that he did not know what happened to the mother and child, although he told WaPo, "I fear they were split up."
"I do not know what happened to them. I would very much like to know," photographer John Moore said.. "Ever since I took those pictures, I think about that moment often. And it's emotional for me every time." https://t.co/tCrVIK8V20 pic.twitter.com/y67sdMPxDS
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) June 19, 2018
The photo of the girl and the latest developments in her story have been a rallying cry on both sides of the immigration issue.
The Facebook fundraiser “Reunite an immigrant parent with their child” prominently featured the image. The campaign has raised more than $18 million.
Still, the White House and conservatives used the new information to try and deflect further criticism of the Trump policy.
"It’s shameful that Dems and the media exploited this photo of a little girl to push their agenda," tweeted Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "She was not separated from her mom. The separation here is from the facts. Dems should join POTUS and fix our broken immigration system. #ChangeTheLaws"
There is no law requiring the separation of children from family members who cross the border illegally.
Social media posts claiming previous laws were responsible have been debunked by fact checkers. President Donald Trump and his allies' attempts to lay the blame elsewhere for the unpopular policy also have been proven false.
Trump signed an executive order Wednesday ending the separation of children and detained parents who crossed the border. The Associated Press said Friday that no plan has been put in place to reunite families, leaving many searching for children who were relocated hundreds of miles away.
The president's defense of his actions continued Friday, saying on Twitter that Democrats were telling "phony stories of sadness and grief" about the immigrants.
We must maintain a Strong Southern Border. We cannot allow our Country to be overrun by illegal immigrants as the Democrats tell their phony stories of sadness and grief, hoping it will help them in the elections. Obama and others had the same pictures, and did nothing about it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2018
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