Customs and Border Protection is expanding its capacity to house more migrants, spending as much as $37 million to build two new tent cities for children and families detained in Texas, Quartz reported Sunday.
Citing a federal contracting notice, Quartz reported the work order states the "temporary (8 months) soft-sided facilities" will be located in Donna and El Paso, housing up to 500 people at each location — and aim to give CBP "additional capacity to accommodate family units and [unaccompanied children] arriving in surging numbers to the southwest border."
"These facilities will provide temporary housing, meals, showers, clean clothing, and medical area for the family units and UACs," CBP states in an attached document, allowing "35 square feet per detainee of open space plus 12 square feet to account for sleeping mat space."
CBP says kitchen equipment, shower trailers, laundry trailers, chemical toilets with sinks, and shipping containers for "detainee property storage" will be provided. The contract also includes office space for border enforcement officials, surveillance cameras, security guards, electricity, HVAC services, and gun lockers.
The contract was awarded to Deployed Resources, with which CBP worked before, Quartz reported. The job is set to be completed April 30.
"If the Government was to compete the services, it would delay the ability to provide the humanitarian and medical aid to the migrants that can lead to some [sic] death," a justification of the contract stated.
A 2016 Donna tent city cost $3.8 million, the San Antonio Express-News has reported.
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