- The Biden government received a negative reaction for reopening a Texas facility for young migrants.
- There are thousands of unaccompanied minors trying to cross the border.
- Biden said his government is trying to reunite migrant children with their families.
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President Joe Biden said on Friday that a facility for young migrants that recently reopened in Texas was a temporary measure taken by the government to deal with the increasing number of unaccompanied children crossing the US-Mexico border.
The Biden government received a setback for the decision of progressive Democratic lawmakers and some on the right.
“There are currently thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the border,” said Biden during an interview with Univision. “We were able to place a significant number of them in licensed facilities across the country. In Texas, they opened one … used in the last administration. Our hope and expectation is that it will not remain open for long and that we will be able to ensure that every child who crosses the border safely is housed in licensed facilities. “
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the government needed additional space due to COVID-19’s social distance measures.
“To ensure the health and safety of these children, [the Department of Health and Human Services] has taken steps to open an emergency unit to increase capacity, where these children can receive the care they need before they are safely placed with families and sponsors, “she said.
According to the White House, reopening the facility was a better option than sending migrant children on a treacherous journey back to their home countries.
More than 2,000 unaccompanied migrants were intercepted by the U.S. border patrol last week, according to The New York Times.
Biden said his government is trying to reunite migrant children with their families.
“Take them to the families they came to see or are looking for,” he said. “We have already connected thousands of them in this way. So this is our hope, it is to bring these children together with their families while they wait for an audience ”.
The Carrizo Springs facility, which previously housed oilfield workers, was reused in a containment facility under the administration of former President Donald Trump in 2019, a decision that was widely criticized by Democrats at the time.
Progressive lawmakers, including Democratic Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, criticized the government’s decision to reopen the facility.
“This is not well, it has never been well, it will never be well – no matter the administration or the party”, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted earlier this week. “Our immigration system is built on a prison structure. It is no accident that challenging the way we approach these two issues is considered to be a ‘controversial’ stance.”
She added: “There are only 2 [months] this administration and our charged and unfair immigration system will not change at that time. That is why a bold reimagination is so important. “