Journalists allowed inside facility for migrant children at US-Mexico border

The Biden administration for the first time on Tuesday allowed a limited pool of journalists inside its main detention facility for migrant children at the US-Mexico border.

The visit revealed a severely overcrowded tent structure where more than 4,000 migrants, including children and families, packed into pods and the youngest kept in a large playpen with mats on the floor for sleeping.

Joe Biden has been under pressure to bring more transparency to the process of handling the current increase in undocumented migrants crossing into the US compared with previous months.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allowed two journalists from the Associated Press and a crew from the TV network CBS to tour the facility in Donna, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley at the eastern end of the US-Mexico divide.

The facility has a capacity of 250 but more than 4,100 people were being housed on the property Tuesday.

Most were unaccompanied children, processed in tents before being taken to shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services and then placed with a family member, relative or sponsor.

Migrants at the main detention center for unaccompanied children in Donna, Texas, on 30 March.
Migrants at the main detention center for unaccompanied children in Donna, Texas, on 30 March. Photograph: Reuters

The children were being housed in eight pods about 3,200 sq ft in size. Many of the pods had more than 500 children in them.

The journalists watched children being processed. They went into a small room for lice inspection and a health check.

Their hair was hosed down and towels were tossed in a black bin marked “Lice”.

The minors, many of whom have made long journeys to get to the border, including stretches on foot, were also checked for scabies, fever and other ailments.

No Covid-19 test was administered unless a child showed symptoms.

Nurse practitioners also gave psychological tests, asking children if they had suicidal thoughts. All shoelaces were removed to avoid harm to anyone.

Young unaccompanied migrants wait their turn at a processing station inside the CBP facility in Donna, Texas, on 30 March.
Young unaccompanied migrants wait their turn at a processing station inside the CBP facility in Donna, Texas, on 30 March. Photograph: Reuters

The children were then led down a green turf hall to a large intake room. Those 14 and older are fingerprinted and have their photo taken; younger children did not.

Then they were taken to a second intake room where they got notices to appear for immigration court.

Border patrol agents asked them if they had a contact in the US and allowed the child to speak with them by phone.

Children were given bracelets with a barcode that shows history of when they showered and medical conditions.

source: theguardian.com