Houston • Federal authorities say they will open a temporary shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children in far west Texas as existing facilities reach capacity.
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that authorities would open a shelter at the Tornillo port of entry, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of El Paso. The spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about whether children would be kept outdoors.
The numbers of children in existing facilities have surged as the Trump administration institutes a zero tolerance policy against families that try to enter the U.S. without legal permission. Hundreds of families have been separated, with parents detained and their children placed in government shelters.
