Father: Crying girl on Time cover was not separated from her mother

The young Honduran girl who became a symbol of immigrant children separated from their parents was not separated from her mother after the picture was taken, the girls' father and immigration officials told reporters.

The girl's father, Denis Valera, told Reuters he learned that the girl and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, have been detained together in McAllen, Texas. Sanchez has applied for asylum, Valera said.

A Border Patrol agent also spoke out after images of him patting down Sanchez fueled public sentiment against the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy. Border Patrol Agent Carlos Ruiz told CBS News that the image of him patting down the Honduran migrant as her daughter cried at her feet might be considered misleading.

“We asked (the mother) to set the kid down in front of her … so we can properly search the mother,” he told the news network. “The kid immediately started crying as she set her down. I personally went up to the mother and asked her, ‘Are you doing OK? Is the kid OK?’ and she said, “Yes. She’s tired and thirsty. It’s 11 o’clock at night.’”

Getty photographer John Moore, who took the images June 12, told The Washington Post that the crying girl moment lasted for only a few seconds -- but that he feared they were split up.

Multiple news organizations that used the image to illustrate Trump's "zero tolerance" policy did not confirm that the girl and mother were separated after being taken by immigration officials.

The photo spurred a California couple to start a fundraiser that has since raised millions of dollars to help migrants detained on suspicion of illegally crossing the border. The crying girl’s image also will appear on the cover of the July 2 issue of Time magazine.

The girl's father told Reuters that he was pleased his daughter had "become a symbol" of issues surrounding the family separation policy, but he said he fears for the family's safety. He said Sanchez left Puerto Cortes without telling him or their three other children. Sanchez has family in the United States and likely left in search of better economic opportunities, he said.

"If they are deported, that is OK as long as they do not leave the child without her mother," Valera told Reuters. "I am waiting to see what happens with them."

In April, the Trump administration directed prosecutors to pursue cases against all people suspected of crossing the border illegally as part of a “zero tolerance” immigration enforcement policy. Parents were separated from their children as they faced prosecution.

Nearly 2,000 children were separated from their families over a six-week period in April and May, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump ended the policy Wednesday with an executive order after unsuccessfully calling on Congress to stop the separations through legislation.

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