I feel the need to do a thread on "kids in cages" because it's coming back again. Hang on. Here goes. 1/
The phrase first started in regards to a processing facility built under the Obama administration after the initial increase in unaccompanied children in Texas in 2014. 2/
The facility used chain-link fencing to separate areas where adults were held separate from children and by gender. The fencing was used to allow CBP officials to be able to observe activity in the areas for safety. 3/
As more and more families arrived, this "overflow" facility itself overflowed and pictures of the crowded facility made its way into the news. 4/
Over the next several years, these picture and the plight of the children held there became a national news story, throughout the Trump years as well 5/
HHS facilities, which are set up to take unaccompanied children after being released from CBP and until the children can be placed with U.S. sponsors also became over crowded, meaning the children were held longer in CBP's facilities that were never meant for longterm care. 6/
The child separation policies of the Trump administration exacerbated this problem. After it was (mostly) ended, other forms of asylum where shut down, and Title 42 CDC orders prevented most migrants from entering, the facility was mostly unused 7/
In fact, it was closed to be "rehabilitated" and the cages taken down. But now, the Biden administration is no longer sending minors back to Mexico. And so CBP must once again find places to care for and process the unaccompanied children before they go to ORR. 8/
NO ONE thinks that Border Patrol stations are fit for children, so they have reopened a temporary processing facility in Carrizo Springs, for this purpose 9/
BUT, COVID restrictions and social distancing protocols have limited available places in HHS facilities. So that may result in kids being held longer in CBP custody than they should 10/
NONE OF THIS IS IDEAL for the children. BUT --there are limited alternatives at the moment. If children aren't being returned to Mexico, than they MUST undergo CBP processing, i.,e., identification, logging into the system (So they can be tracked throughout the process) 11/
This has to be done SOMEWHERE, so these facilities are the best we have at the moment. If you want to decry "kids in cages" or the treatment of unaccompanied children who arrive at the border that is understandable, but also understand the government's constraints right now 12/.
A bigger solution and system must be contemplated so we don't have to resort to these kinds of measures in the future. But while we're building that, we have to ask what is the best we can do right now? /FIN
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