A South Texas farmer found five young girls outside his property amid an influx of people crossing the border to seek asylum.
Congressman Tony Gonzales shared an image of the discovery on social media over the weekend, adding that Border Patrol agents confirmed they were not hurt and are healthy.
Three of the girls, the oldest being 7 years old, are from Honduras. The two other girls, including an 11-month-old baby, are from Guatemala.
The farmer who found them near his property in Quemado, a city about 35 miles south of Del Rio, said he brought them food and water before he called the Border Patrol.
During an interview with Gonzales, the farmer said it took more than two hours before help arrived.
“I don’t think they would have made it if I didn’t find them because it got to 103 (degree) here,” the farmer said.
Gonzales, a Republican, said the South Texas heat will become even more dangerous as summer approaches.
U.S. Sen John Cornyn and Rep. Henry Cuellar have said a seasonal rise in border crossings has been going on for years.
They expect to see more people cross the border before the summer season.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said Tuesday that the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border eased in April but the number of adults coming without families increased.
Authorities encountered 173,460 migrants on the Mexican border in April, up 3% from 169,213 in March, the highest level since April 2000.
About 17,171 children were found to be traveling alone last month, down 9% from 18,960 in March.
Read more: Number of children traveling alone at border eases in April