HHS Closes Three Shelters for Illegal Immigrant Children

Russ Jones | Christian Press | Updated: Aug 07, 2014

HHS Closes Three Shelters for Illegal Immigrant Children

The Department of Health and Human Services announced its plans to close temporary shelters on three military bases to accommodate illegal immigrant children.

The HHS's Administration for Children and Families established the facilities to house unaccompanied children caught crossing the Mexico border by immigration authorities.

In a statement ACF said:

“Looking forward, there remains substantial uncertainty about the future flows of unaccompanied children. In order to balance managing costs with limited available resources and remaining prepared for sudden increases in the number of children needing care, HHS's Administration for Children and Families plans to continue caring for unaccompanied children through a combination of standard shelters and surge capacity shelters. In the near-term, the three temporary shelters on military bases could be re-opened for a limited time if the number of children increases significantly.”

Opened in May and early June, children in the shelters have been operated by nonprofit organizations, many of which are faith-based, located around the country.

Temporary shelters at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Fort Sill Army Base, and Naval Base Ventura County-Port Hueneme have providing care to more than 7,700 children since opening. 

According to the Christian Science Monitor, “Children typically spend a month in a shelter before they are placed with sponsors, often parents or relatives already living within the US, before immigration courts can process their cases.”

ACF maintains that illegal immigrant children will be placed in smaller shelters around the country.

Publication date: August 7, 2014



HHS Closes Three Shelters for Illegal Immigrant Children