Facilities housing migrant children on the U.S.-Mexico border have been told by the Biden administration to expand operations to pre-COVID levels due to ''extraordinary circumstances'' amid a sharp rise in migrant crossings, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN.
"Additional shelter capacity will minimize the likelihood that children remain in Border Patrol stations longer than necessary, where they are also exposed to COVID-19 transmission risks as well as child welfare concerns associated with such settings. Overcapacity at Border Stations poses a greater infection risk to children than [Office of Refugee Resettlement] program sites that may operate at full licensed capacity with comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation measures in place," reads the memo, produced by Customs and Border Protection.
"Today based on CDC guidance, ORR has notified facilities they may temporarily reactivate capacity to their full licensed capability up to safe occupancy levels.''
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, which is responsible for overseeing the care of migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, operates a shelter network with 13,000 beds around the country but had reduced occupancy to 60 percent to comply with COVID-19 protocols.
A housing crunch is now forcing the Biden administration’s hand. There are approximately 7,700 unaccompanied children in HHS care and more keep coming. The Border Patrol in the last week alone intercepted more than 2,000 young migrants traveling without adults, according to the Administration for Children and Families. Many are crowding border processing facilities and straining government shelters.
"We recognize the challenge of having these unaccompanied children come across the border and the influx that we're certainly preparing for, and preparing to approach," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki Friday.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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