Guatemalan boy reunites with father after weeks in Kansas

Before 14-year-old Guatemalan Samuel Cazun left a Kansas nonprofit to be reunited with his father, he gave staff members the sketches of their faces he had drawn to help them remember him.

Of the dozens of migrant children housed at The Villages in Topeka under a contract with the federal government, Samuel was among as many as nine there who were separated from family members at the southern border under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on illegal immigration.

Edvin Cazun, of Guatemala, right, hugs his son Samuel at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as they reunite after being separated about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

It has been more than a month since immigration agents took Samuel away from his father after the two waded across the Rio Grande into Texas following about 15 days traveling by bus from Guatemala. On Monday afternoon, Samuel and his father, Edvin Cazun, tearfully embraced at the Cincinnati airport, reunited once again.

Samuel Cazun, of Guatemala, right, hugs his cousin Nelson, and speaks to his mother on a mobile phone after reuniting with his father Ervin at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport following their separation about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Samuel was all smiles when he caught sight of his father as he rode up on the elevator at the airport, waving to family members. A young cousin ran up to hug him. Edvin Cazun then briefly buried his head on his son's shoulders and embraced him before wiping away his own tears. While still at the airport, Samuel had a video chat with his mother in Guatemala on a relative's cellphone.

Samuel Cazun, of Guatemala, left, and his father Ervin, right, leave Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as they reunite after being separated about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Samuel told The Associated Press in Spanish that the separation was "very hard" and that it made him sad. He worried when he was in Kansas that his father would be deported and that he would never see him again.

Edvin Cazun said he initially tried to come into this country legally by paying for a worker visa, but he was instead ripped off by the people selling them. When he tried to get his money back, they threatened to kill him. So he fled with Samuel to the United States, leaving behind his wife and his four other children, ages 9 to 18, and is now seeking asylum in the hopes of giving Samuel a chance at a better life.

Edvin Cazun, of Guatemala, right, hugs his son Samuel at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as they reunite after being separated about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

"What I want now that we are together is for him to get ahead in life. I want to be responsible for him. I want him to study in this country. That is the best future for him, no? That is my desire as his father," Edvin Cazun said in Spanish.

Samuel said in a Tuesday phone interview that he wants to study in the United States and become a professional artist.

The Trump administration said in a court filing Monday that there have been 1,187 children reunified with their parents or "other appropriate discharges," which include guardians and sponsors. It added that some 463 parents may not be in the United States, saying those findings are based on case notes and are under review.

Samuel Cazun, of Guatemala, speaks with his mother on a mobile phone after reuniting with his father Ervin at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport following their separation about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Immigration attorney Clare Murphy Shaw is Samuel's attorney and said Tuesday that of the seven immigrant children in Kansas she represents in immigration court, five of them have already left The Villages. The two remaining separated children are scheduled to leave either Tuesday or Wednesday.

In what is the first public glimpse at life for migrant children at The Villages in Topeka, Samuel recounted how he was among 13 male teenagers housed in one of the group homes at the facility. He had his own bed and shared a room with another teenager. The food was good and the children could talk with their parents several times a week. They would also go to classes from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day, studying English, mathematics, science, technology and other subjects.

Edvin Cazun, of Guatemala, indicates the arrival time of his son Samuel's flight to family members at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport before they reunite after being separated about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

There were a lot of rules to follow, such as not hugging other children, although a handshake was ok. No opening the windows. Don't go into someone else's room.

Samuel Cazun, of Guatemala, right, waves to his family at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport before reuniting with his father Edvin after being separated about a month ago at the southern border after they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Hebron, Ky. Edvin said they were separated at the "detention" and he spent 15 days without knowing anything about his son. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

It was a lot nicer than facility the Samuel was kept in while in Texas. His first day he was kept in a cage that he compared to one used to contain animals. He slept on a mat on the floor. He thinks he probably spent five days at a second Texas facility but wasn't sure because there were no windows, the lights were on all the time and he couldn't tell whether it was even day or night.

But the hardest part was being separated from his father. Samuel said he prayed to God while at the Kansas shelter that they would soon be together.

"Now I am no longer sad," Samuel said.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Unbeaten centuries by Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson blitzed India to a 283-1 total against South Africa and a massive Twenty20 win on Friday.

The pressure in the chase was too much for South Africa, which was all out for 148 with 10 balls left.

Six bowlers took wickets, led by medium-pacer Arshdeep Singh's 3-20 in 15 deliveries, as India won by 135 runs and completed a 3-1 series win.

But Varma and Samson stole the show at Wanderers.

Varma top-scored with 120 not out off 47 balls. That made him only the second India batter after Samson to score back-to-back T20 centuries, and the fifth batter ever.

Samson scored 109 not out off 56 balls, his second century of the series and third in five T20 innings. He became the first batter to score three T20 centuries in a calendar year, and the second batter to notch two hundreds in the same bilateral tournament.

Together, they blasted 210 runs off 86 balls for the second wicket, hitting 19 sixes and 15 boundaries.

Theirs was the highest T20 partnership for India for any wicket. It was also the highest T20 partnership against South Africa, and the highest for the second wicket or lower in all T20s.

After India chose to bat first, Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened with 73 off 35 balls, setting the stage.

Sharma was dropped before he scored and scored 36 off 18 balls, including four sixes, before falling to Lutho Sipamla as the lone wicket of the innings.

Samson reached 50 off 28 balls with five fours and three sixes. He accelerated to his hundred off 51 balls — the second 50 coming off 23 balls with another five sixes and three fours.

Only Rohit Sharma (five) and Suryakumar Yadav (four) have more T20 hundreds for India.

Varma wasn’t shaded. He raced to 50 off 22 balls with five sixes and four fours, and the next 50 came off 19 balls with four more sixes.

The duo racked up 100 runs off 40 balls, and doubled it in another 42 deliveries.

It was the third time two batters scored individual hundreds in the same T20 innings — and the first instance between full member sides.

It was also the second highest T20 total between full member sides — India scored the highest, 297-6, against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last month, when Samson posted his first of three centuries.

Singh quickly gave South Africa no hope in the chase.

He bowled Reeza Hendricks for a two-ball duck, and skipper Aiden Markram was out caught for 8.

Hardik Pandya sent back Ryan Rickelton for 1, and South Africa was down to 10-4 in three overs when Singh dismissed Heinrich Klaasen lbw for a golden duck.

Tristan Stubbs and David Miller (36) resisted with an 86-run partnership off 54 balls, but it was never going to be enough. Stubbs top-scored with 43 off 29 balls.

Marco Jansen provided a late flourish with 29 not out off 12 balls.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy picked 2-42 to finish with 12 wickets in the four-match series.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

India's Arshdeep Singh reacts after bowling a delivery during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson, left, celebrates with batting partner Tilak Varma after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson plays a shot during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Sanju Samson celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma watches the ball after playing a shot during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

India's Tilak Varma celebrates after scoring a century during the fourth T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)