Government Executive: Migrant Children at Fort Bliss Shelter Faced Distress, Long Release Waits
This article features Government Accountability Project and was originally published here.
Hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children at an emergency intake shelter at Fort Bliss either faced unnecessary delays in being reunited with their families or were released to family or sponsors who had not had adequate background checks, an internal federal report shows.
Arriving at the Southwest border without parents or legal guardians in early 2021, the children also went weeks without talking to their case managers – leading to their emotional distress, anxiety, panic attacks and even self-harm, according to a 58-page report from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released on Sept. 27.
“The reliance of HHS on emergency intake sites and influx care facilities like Fort Bliss fails to serve the best interests of children seeking safety,” said Wendy Young, president of Kids In Need of Defense, a contracted agency providing legal assistance and education to children detained at the site. “KIND continues to press the department to expand the network of smaller shelters where the standard of care is higher.”
The emergency intake shelter at Fort Bliss opened on March 30, 2021 – one of 14 ordered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The ORR oversees the unaccompanied children program under the HHS’s Administration for Children and Families. Shelters...
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