First Lady Met By Protesters Visiting Child Detention Facility

PHOENIX, AZ — First lady Melania Trump was greeted by protesters outside an immigrant detention center in west Phoenix Thursday. Towering over them was an inflatable Donald Trump donning a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

In her visit, Trump met with Customs and Border Protection officials at the Border Facility by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. "I know how dangerous and difficult your daily jobs are," Trump said, the Arizona Daily Star reports. "I really appreciate all you do on behalf of the country."

She was at the facility for about an hour before flying to Phoenix where she visited a Southwest Key detention facility, which The Hill reports Southwest Key operates 26 such facilities across Texas, Arizona and California.

About 30 protesters were across the street the west Phoenix facility when she arrived, according to Matthew Casey with KJZZ. Casey reports the protesters were playing "F--- tha Police" by N.W.A.

That particular facility houses 121 children, from infants to kids age 17, the Arizona Republic reports, coming mostly from Guatemala, as well as others from Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico.

"We have been around for 20 years, and this is a licensed child-care facility," Southwest Key Vice President Alexia Jo Rodriguez said. "The primary work we do here is to try to do a safe reunification."

The Republic reported four babies had mothers at the shelter and there are four pregnant teens.

Southwest Key facilities in Phoenix:

Article image Matthew Casey/KJZZ, used with permission