The increase in the arrival of unaccompanied children has put additional pressure on the immigration system, which was operating with limited capacity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We recognize the challenge of having these unaccompanied children crossing the border and the influx that we are certainly preparing for and addressing,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.
The Department of Health and Human Services is in charge of caring for unaccompanied migrant children until they are placed with a sponsor, such as a parent or relative, in the U.S., but with precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on site, the department can only manage occupy a little more than half of the beds it has for children.
There are approximately 7,700 unaccompanied children in the care of HHS. The department has about 13,650 beds to accommodate children when they are not reduced in capacity.
A separate document, prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calls the situation an “extraordinary” circumstance and says that “facilities must plan and expect to have COVID-19 cases”, citing the nature of the pandemic and recognizing “there is none 0% risk scenario. “
Friday’s memo highlights the Biden government’s challenge to keep children out of the custody of the Border Patrol.
“The additional capacity of the shelter will minimize the likelihood that children will stay at border patrol stations for longer than necessary, where they are also exposed to the risks of COVID-19 transmission, as well as concerns about well-being. associated with such locations. Overcapacity at border stations poses a risk of infection for children than [Office of Refugee Resettlement] program locations that can operate at full licensed capacity with comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation measures in place, “says the memo.
“Today, based on CDC guidance, the ORR has notified facilities that can temporarily reactivate the total licensed capacity to safe occupancy levels,” continues the memo, stressing that reactivating beds must be done safely. The Refugee Resettlement Office is the federal agency under HHS in charge of caring for migrant children.
The CDC document recommends that shelters implement Covid-19 mitigation measures, such as the use of masks, distance, cleaning and disinfection, better ventilation, increased testing and vaccination for children over 16 years old.
HHS also recently opened an overflow facility in Texas to house children arriving on the southern border of the U.S. without a parent or relative, until they can be relocated with the family in the USA.
“We have to look for facilities and places where we can have these unaccompanied minors safely and humanely in the meantime,” Psaki told reporters on Friday.
This story has been updated with additional details.