BREAKING — A "staggering number" of migrant children held at a Border Patrol facility face overcrowded conditions, lawyers who interviewed them tell CBS News.
Children reported sleeping on the floor; limited showers; and not seeing the sun in days.
cbsnews.com/news/migrant-c…
Children reported sleeping on the floor; limited showers; and not seeing the sun in days.
cbsnews.com/news/migrant-c…
"Some of the boys said that conditions were so overcrowded that they had to take turns sleeping on the floor," @NCYLnews's Neha Desai said, citing interviews with nearly a dozen migrant children held at the Customs and Border Protection holding facility in Donna, Texas.
The children interviewed included a young teenager in U.S. custody with her baby and an 8-year-old unaccompanied girl. Some of the children who traveled with older siblings were even younger.
"There was a staggering amount of very young children," Desai said.
"There was a staggering amount of very young children," Desai said.
Many of the children were visibly emotional, Desai said, especially siblings of different genders who had been separated.
The young detainees, Desai said, also reported not having access to outside activities. She said the children told her "about how they never saw the sun."
The young detainees, Desai said, also reported not having access to outside activities. She said the children told her "about how they never saw the sun."
The migrant children Desai spoke to also said they had been denied phone calls to communicate with family members.
"They were hysterically crying, wanting to talk to their family," she said.
"They were hysterically crying, wanting to talk to their family," she said.
Most of the minors said they had only showered once while in U.S. custody, even though they'd been held for more than five days, according to Desai. Some said they had showered twice.
"They all said they wanted to shower more and were told they couldn't," Desai said.
"They all said they wanted to shower more and were told they couldn't," Desai said.
On March 2, the migrant holding facility in Donna, Texas was holding more than 1,800 people — 729% of its pandemic-era capacity, according to an internal CBP document reviewed by CBS News.
CBP has admitted that social distancing there cannot "be observed at all times."
CBP has admitted that social distancing there cannot "be observed at all times."
DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas told @jorgeramosnews that he saw "too may children" when he visited the Donna facility earlier this month. But he applauded Border Patrol agents for their "heroism," saying children were well taken care of.
"There are no children in cages" he said.
"There are no children in cages" he said.
In a statement to CBS News, DHS said Border Patrol is working to "quickly and efficiently" transfer unaccompanied minors to the U.S. refugee agency.
"Addressing the flow of unaccompanied children crossing our southwest border is an important priority of this Administration."
"Addressing the flow of unaccompanied children crossing our southwest border is an important priority of this Administration."
DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas has directed FEMA to "safely receive, shelter, and transfer" migrant children, citing "the arrival of record numbers" of migrants, including unaccompanied minors.
Mayorkas says "a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child"
dhs.gov/news/2021/03/1…
Mayorkas says "a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child"
dhs.gov/news/2021/03/1…
Our story tonight on the Biden administration tapping FEMA to help receive and shelter migrant children:
https://twitter.com/camiloreports/status/1370926457799774214?s=20
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