A toddler snuck through the White House fence on the north side Tuesday, prompting the Secret Service to retrieve the child.
Secret Service Uniformed Division officers walked across the North Lawn and retrieved the little intruder running across the property, the Associated Press reported. Access to the complex was briefly restricted until the officers reunited the child with its parents.
“The Secret Service Uniformed Division today encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House ground,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemli said. “The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited.”
Secret Service officers walked across the lawn today to help a child who crawled through the White House fence.
This is an example of normal lawful behavior when someone who appears to pose no threat accidentally comes on your property. https://t.co/8gJxPYKpzG
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 18, 2023
A similar incident occurred in 2014 during former President Barack Obama’s administration when a toddler squeezed through the 13-foot fence as the former president was about to address the nation on Iraq, CNN reported. Another small intruder reportedly snuck onto the property in April 2015, according to Fox News. (RELATED: Biden Tells Teachers That Kids Are ‘Like Yours When They’re In The Classroom)
The National Park Service and Secret Service have worked to double the size of the White House fence to prevent future breaches since 2019, The Associated Press reported. The new fence stands at 13 feet tall and has a total of 5 1/2 inches of space between each picket.
Some older children and protesters have become stuck between the pickets, the outlet reported.