Inside the effort to release 20,000 migrant children in U.S. custody to sponsors

McAllen, Texas — Most of the 13 migrant boys waiting inside the small airport in this south Texas city were still wearing the gray sweatpants and sweatshirts the U.S. government gave them after they crossed the southern border alone.

The 5 p.m. takeoff to Houston earlier this month had been delayed by about an hour, leaving them at risk of missing their connecting flight. Once the plane arrived, the boys boarded the commercial flight alongside three government contractors and, coincidentally, this reporter. Families with young children released from Border Patrol custody were also there. It was their first time on a plane. Once they landed, the boys rushed through Houston's sprawling airport to gate C10, where their flight to Newark, New Jersey, was scheduled to take off within minutes. They were relieved to find it was also delayed. The boys killed time, talking about Manchester United's resounding 6-2 victory over Roma earlier that week.