(Washington) U.S. officials announced Tuesday that they will open a new reception structure at a military base to deal with the unprecedented arrival of thousands of children who have crossed the border into Mexico alone and illegally.
The health department said in a statement that the emergency admission site, located in Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Texas, was receiving 500 unsupported children as of Tuesday.
It will eventually accommodate 5,000 children between the ages of 13 and 17, who will “receive clothing, toilets and a safe place to eat and rest under a brief medical examination,” the ministry added. Emphasizes that all minors will benefit one. Monitoring protocol against COVID-19 “.
The United States faces a sharp increase in poverty and violence on the border with Central American immigrants, especially since the end of February, when nearly 500 unsupported minorities are arrested every day, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ministry of Homeland Security.
Health regulations enacted at the onset of an outbreak allow the United States to immediately deport all single adults and families.
But U.S. officials find it very difficult to send families back to Mexico, especially when they have young children (under the age of seven).
Minorities arriving alone wait at the border police station, usually within three days, to find their family members or bodyguards before being transferred to the most appropriate reception structures. Hand them over.
About 13,800 children are currently housed in these systems, and fewer than 300 find their loved ones every day, according to the Ministry of Health.
The U.S. administration, which is anticipating the arrival of asylum seekers, allowed the press to visit a congested detention center in Dona, Texas for the first time on Tuesday, ensuring that immigrants are received in good condition.
Administered by the Border Police, the organization keeps more than 4,000 children and families in rooms separated by flexi-glass walls, and immigrants sleep in giant makeshift mats on the floor.
The site has small indoor playgrounds and outdoor playgrounds.
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