South Texas facility to detain migrant teens opens

HOUSTON – The U.S. government has started detaining immigrant youth at an emergency facility in South Texas.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber said Monday that the facility at Carrizo Springs, Texas, now has around 200 boys and girls but that number could expand to up to 1300 children.

The Carrizo Springs facility is at the site of a former camp for oilfield workers. Crews were working last week to remove mould spots and make repairs. Weber says the facility already has classes under way for the teens detained there.

The U.S. government’s treatment of immigrant children has come under harsh scrutiny amid reports of filthy conditions in some facilities. HHS says facilities like Carrizo Springs will help it accept more children who would otherwise be detained by the U.S. Border Patrol.