Melania Trump made a surprise trip to the border amid firestorm over family-separation policy

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Melania Trump

• First lady Melania Trump made a surprise trip to the southern US border on Thursday amid the firestorm over her husband's family-separation policy with migrants.
• The purpose of the visit was "to take part in briefings and tours at a nonprofit social services center for children who have entered the United States illegally and a customs and border patrol processing center," according to a statement.
• President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday designed to stop migrant family separations.

First lady Melania Trump made a surprise trip to the southern border on Thursday amid the firestorm over the Trump administration's separation of migrant families.

The purpose of the visit to McAllen, Texas, was "to take part in briefings and tours at a nonprofit social services center for children who have entered the United States illegally and a customs and border patrol processing center," according to a statement released by the White House.

She planned to tour a border patrol processing center and a children's shelter in McAllen that houses about 60 children.

The statement went on to say that Trump's goals were "to thank law enforcement and social services providers for their hard work, lend support and hear more on how the administration can build upon the already existing efforts to reunite children with their families."

Melania's visit comes just one day after her husband, President Donald Trump, signed an executive order designed to end the family-separation policy.

The first lady planned her trip to the border on Tuesday and that it was "100% her idea," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. Grisham also said that Melania "wanted to see everything for herself" and that her husband supported the trip.

When asked if the first lady supported the executive order, Grisham said that Trump supports family reunification and will continue to "give her husband opinions on what she's thinking should happen."

On Wednesday, Grisham said that Trump urged her husband to end the family-separation policy.