The US-Mexico Border Opened For 3 Minutes So Families Could Reunite, and the Photos Are Powerful

Over 300 families met at the Mexican-American border Saturday morning for a brief but powerful meeting between members separated by immigration policies. It was the second time the Hugs Not Walls event took place.

On the American side, families met in El Paso, TX, while families on the Mexican side met in Ciudad Juárez. The encounters were certainly bittersweet since families only had three minutes to reunite with their estranged family members.

According to Mexico News Daily, people in groups of 10 from either side met beginning in the early morning. The meetings were carefully observed by the US Border Patrol and Mexican Federal Police. Families from the Mexican side wore white t-shirts and families from the American side wore blue so they could be easily identified by agents.

Some families have waited years to be reunited and have only been able to remain in contact electronically. Sadly, the future of immigrants remains uncertain in American politics — but it's quite apparent Donald Trump will not be encouraging another Hugs Not Walls event as president, given his affinity for building walls.

Here are some social media posts from the event.

#HugsNotWalls Today hundreds of families will hug at the #Mexico #US #border for 3 minutes after being split by #immigration for years. pic.twitter.com/9qfqjSWYif

— Luis Chaparro (@LuisKuryaki) October 29, 2016

#hugsnotwalls on the Rio Grande today between El Paso and Juarez. Hundreds of citizens from US and Mexico will meet. pic.twitter.com/GWeuUP3Rb2

— Ray Bogan (@RayBogan) October 29, 2016

The Rio Grande as place of love and encounter. #hugsnotwalls #thisistheborder #estaeslafrontera pic.twitter.com/1JJkyRQjJb

— dylan corbett (@DylanCorbett23) August 10, 2016

Check out live footage from today's #HugsNotWalls event on my @snapchat account. Username: beto.orourke pic.twitter.com/1s6Dkh4fG0

— Rep. Beto O'Rourke (@RepBetoORourke) October 29, 2016