Later, she went to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen.

The center is a resting spot for families. Those who pass through it are usually coming from one of several detention facilities run by customs officials in the Rio Grande Valley, of which Ursula is one. The migrants usually do not stay at the respite center more than 24 hours; they are on their way to find family members or sponsors after being released from federal custody.

Dr. Goza said she had been told the three artists were 10 and 11 years old, but she did not know their names. Nor did Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, who oversees the respite center. In an interview Monday, she said the drawings were in her organization’s possession.

Two of the drawings show stick figures that look as if they are in cages. In one drawing, five figures look as if they are lying on the floor under blankets, while another figure in a hat looks over them.

In another, there is a cage holding five figures. Three more figures are outside the cage — one small, like a child, and two larger, with hats.

In the third picture, there are no people — only a couple of toilets in a corner. Those are behind bars, too.

The A.A.P. staff member’s photographs of the drawings caught the attention of the news media and became a poignant symbol of the plight of migrant families and children.