Time magazine is defending a cover that critics claim inaccurately depicts a migrant child as being separated from her parents, insisting the "cover and our reporting capture the stakes of this moment."

“The June 12 photograph of the 2-year-old Honduran girl became the most visible symbol of the ongoing immigration debate in America for a reason,” a Time spokesman said in a statement provided to CNN on Friday.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Under the policy enforced by the administration, prior to its reversal this week, those who crossed the border illegally were criminally prosecuted, which in turn resulted in the separation of children and parents," the spokesman added. "Our cover and our reporting capture the stakes of this moment."

The latest issue of Time shows a cover illustrated with President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE looking at a 2-year old crying girl, with a caption reading "Welcome to America."

It quickly went viral amid media coverage of the administration's policy of separating children from parents awaiting prosecution for crossing the border illegally. Approximately 2,300 migrant children have been affected by the policy, which Trump halted with an executive order on Wednesday.

The father of the girl in the photograph, though, said in a Thursday interview that she was never separated from her mother. He said the child was only briefly kept aside to allow border agents to conduct a pat-down of the parent. It was also reported on Friday that the mother was deported in 2013, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Conservatives slammed the cover after it was revealed the parents were never separated from their child, calling it another example of "fake news" and liberal bias.

The @TIME cover story blowing up reinforces everything Trump has said:

*Fake News: She wasn't separated

*Not a first time crosser

*Claiming asylum when it doesn't apply

*Photos in media don't show the reality

*Put child in danger

*Treating him differently than Obama — Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) June 22, 2018

TIME Magazine's Shocking Cover Is A Total Lie. No Wonder Americans Don't Trust The Media. https://t.co/IpqwycqeVn — The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) June 22, 2018

More #FakeNews as Democrats ramp up the whining before the 2018 election... https://t.co/hnmAqHRM3C — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) June 22, 2018

It's all a scam: Migrant Mother and ‘Crying Girl’ on TIME Cover Separated Herself from Husband With Good Job, 3 Other Kids, Paid Coyote $6K to Sneak Back in US https://t.co/Cyv27MXjgd — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) June 22, 2018

Time Magazine cover showing a crying little girl standing in front of President Trump is completely phony. https://t.co/imd4lLF9iY — Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) June 22, 2018

Sooo... the little girl on the cover of time was never separated from her mom. Tough break for #FakeNews...



Read about it: https://t.co/FGfIHlL52M pic.twitter.com/dYLFrwGyAd — Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 22, 2018

“Crying Girl actually represents the opposite of the assumptions blasted around by outlets like Time.” https://t.co/JUw6JB27ZM — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 22, 2018

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THE CRYING GIRL ON THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE WAS NEVER ACTUALLY SEPARATED FROM HER MOTHER?



DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TO CHECK BEFORE YOU PUT THE IMAGE UP ON THE COVER WITH WELCOME TO AMERICA? YOU'RE JUST GIVING TRUMP MORE AMMO ABOUT THE 'FAKE NEWS MEDIA!' pic.twitter.com/gzYFxWLbMj — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) June 22, 2018

"Our cover and our reporting capture the stakes of this moment."



The reporting was not only wildly incomplete, it got the facts wrong. If @TIME wants credit for creating good propaganda, great. But let's not pretend this is journalism. https://t.co/kj0YjTY1qa — Rachel Stoltzfoos (@RachelStoltz) June 22, 2018