NEW — The Trump admin. has said migrant children will overwhelm US shelters and spread Covid-19 unless it can rapidly expel them.
But 4 shelters officials with federal contracts told @CBSNews the US has space for the children and can safely care for them.
cbsnews.com/news/migrant-c…
But 4 shelters officials with federal contracts told @CBSNews the US has space for the children and can safely care for them.
cbsnews.com/news/migrant-c…
The US shelter operators, who requested anonymity because they're restricted from speaking publicly about their work with the government, said they don't believe expelling migrant children with little or no due process is the only way to contain the coronavirus.
"COVID is a reality and it is not going away anytime soon. We can say, 'We can't figure it out, it's too hard, it's too complicated.' But I would rather walk a kid through getting COVID than knowing that they are going to die in their home country," one shelter operator said.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which contracts the shelter operators, has 13,000 beds for migrant children, but says it can only use 8,700 due to COVID policies.
The office has 3,500 + minors in its custody, up from a decade-low in the summer but well below historic highs.
The office has 3,500 + minors in its custody, up from a decade-low in the summer but well below historic highs.
Another federal shelter operator:
"There are kids ... looking for safety and a better life."
"Whether it's a pandemic or not, I think we are more than capable of having policies and practices in place to ensure their safety and to ensure the safety of our staff."
"There are kids ... looking for safety and a better life."
"Whether it's a pandemic or not, I think we are more than capable of having policies and practices in place to ensure their safety and to ensure the safety of our staff."
Third shelter official:
"(The US refugee agency) should right now be working to accommodate children's rights and safety, looking at how they can reconfigure and utilize their existing shelter system and ... improve the efficiency of releasing kids to families and sponsors."
"(The US refugee agency) should right now be working to accommodate children's rights and safety, looking at how they can reconfigure and utilize their existing shelter system and ... improve the efficiency of releasing kids to families and sponsors."
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