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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 11 July 2019

New holding center for migrant children opens in Texas

By NOMAAN MERCHANT fication,” said Weber, the
Associated Press HHS spokesman.
CARRIZO SPRINGS, Texas The holding center is open-
(AP) — A former oilfield ing amid record numbers
worker camp off a dirt road of family members appre-
in rural Texas has become hended at the border and
the U.S. government’s new- thousands of children trav-
est holding center for de- eling without their parents
taining migrant children af- as they flee violence and
ter they leave Border Patrol poverty in Central America.
stations, where complaints Baptist Child and Family
of overcrowding and filthy Services also ran the Tor-
conditions have sparked a nillo camp, which opened
worldwide outcry. last summer as thousands
Inside the wire fence that of children were separated
encircles the site are soc- from their parents by Trump
cer fields, a giant air-con- administration policy. Tor-
ditioned tent that serves nillo reached as many as
as a dining hall, and trailers 2,800 children until it was
set up for use as classrooms closed in January.
and as places where chil- BCFS CEO Kevin Dinnin said
dren can call their families. he had refused in Decem-
The long trailers once used ber to take more children
to house workers in two- In this Tuesday, July 9, 2019, photo, decorations cover the walls of the rooms of immigrants at the at Tornillo because the
bedroom suites have been U.S. government’s newest holding center for migrant children in Carrizo Springs, Texas. camp was holding them
converted into 12-person Associated Press for so long, a decision that
dorms, with two pairs of able environment for chil- an average of $775 per day symptoms. led to its closing. Dinnin said
bunk beds in each bed- dren while they wait to be for each child. HHS plans to Breakfast is at 7 a.m., fol- he resolved never to open
room and the living room. placed with family mem- pay the nonprofit Baptist lowed by soccer, then six another emergency center
The Department of Health bers or sponsors in the U.S. Child and Family Services hours of classes in reading, like it, but the conditions re-
and Human Services said But immigrant advocates up to $300 million through writing, social studies, sci- ported in Border Patrol cus-
about 225 children are and others liken such plac- January to run the Carrizo ence and math. tody changed his mind. He
being held at the site in es to child prison camps Springs site. In reading class on Tues- said he also believes HHS is
Carrizo Springs, with plans and worry that the isolated The government allowed day, the students were doing more to process chil-
to expand to as many as location 110 miles (180 ki- The Associated Press to visit asked to practice reciting dren more quickly.
1,300, making it one of the lometers) from San Anto- on Tuesday and distribute the Pledge of Allegiance “At the end of the day, our
biggest camps in the U.S. nio, the nearest major city, photos and video, though in English. Many did so halt- philosophy has been ... to
government system. will make it more difficult the AP could not show chil- ingly before the teachers keep kids out of CBP jail
The government said the to find lawyers to help the dren’s faces because of called one student to the cells,” Dinnin said.
holding center will give it teenagers with their immi- privacy restrictions. front to help lead them. Af- Jonathan Ryan, executive
much-needed capacity to gration cases. Boys and girls are kept in ter he finished, the whole director of the legal group
take in more children from Advocates have com- separate buildings and fol- class applauded. RAICES, said his organiza-
the Border Patrol and pre- plained that HHS’ largest low separate schedules. HHS said the goal is to tion is ready to send law-
vent their detention in sta- holding centers — a facil- They have decorated their move the children through yers to Carrizo Springs but is
tions like the one in Clint, ity in Homestead, Florida, rooms with drawings of su- the holding center and waiting for the OK from the
Texas, where lawyers last a converted Walmart in perheroes and the flags of others like it as quickly as government.
month reported some 250 Brownsville, Texas, and a their home countries, in- possible. The department “We just want to get in-
youngsters were being held now-closed tent camp at cluding Guatemala and said it has sped up placing side and work with those
in cells with inadequate Tornillo, Texas — have trau- El Salvador. Many children children with sponsors to an kids,” Ryan said. “Children
food, water and sanitation. matized children through smiled and greeted visitors average of 45 days, down who have been detained,
Of the children held at Car- overcrowding and inad- as they walked by. Several from 93 days last Novem- who have gone through
rizo Springs, 21 had previ- equate staffing. girls knitted yarn hats and ber. One key, HHS said, was deprivation and cages in
ously been detained at “All of this is part of a mor- armbands. lifting a requirement that Border Patrol custody, are
Clint, HHS spokesman Mark ally bankrupt system,” said A series of tents serves as all adult relatives be finger- potentially being released
Weber said. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San the infirmary, with nurses printed before they can without ever having had
HHS said the Carrizo Springs Antonio Democrat. on hand treating a few take a child out of custody. access to legal advice and
location is a comfort- There’s also the huge cost: children for lice and flu-like “This facility is all about uni- screening.”q