Lawyers at the National Center for Youth Law spoke to about a dozen children in Donna, Texas, this week, according to Leecia Welch, the senior director of advocacy and child welfare.
The children were terrified, crying and worried because they could not talk to family members, Welch said. Some said they had not seen sunlight for days. Others said if they were happy, they would go outside for 20 minutes every few days.
“Donna is fast becoming a humanitarian crisis,” Welch told CNN. “We understand that the government has inherited this disaster, but I can not stress enough how urgent the situation is with the growing number of young children without guidance. We have spoken to many upset children who do not understand why they are not with their parents can not talk, see their siblings at Donna, or get fresh air. ‘
In response to questions about the allegations, a CBP spokesman sent a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stating that border patrol officials “are doing everything in their power to care for unaccompanied children in their care” see.”
“The attention of the stream of unaccompanied children crossing our southwestern border is a major priority of this administration and DHS,” the statement said. “It requires an entire government’s coordinated and sustained response.”
Earlier this week, a DHS official told CNN the Donna facility was “significantly overcrowded”, describing the conditions that administrative officials observed when they visited last weekend.
Lawyer: Children are scared and try to comfort each other
The legal team was given access to talk to the children as they monitor government compliance with the Flores settlement, a 1997 agreement that limits the duration and conditions under which U.S. officials can keep immigrant children.
Welch said attorneys may enter an area designated for attorneys, but they may not tour through areas where children are housed.
Attorneys handed over a manifesto of the facility, which was about 100 pages long, Welch said. Each page contains many children under the age of 10, she said.
At the facility, children are divided into pods of about 50 according to age and gender, Welch said. According to her, this means that siblings are separated from different genders, which makes the already stressful situation for children even worse.
Most children were at the facility for five to seven days, Welch says, and they are scared. Because CBP officials are not allowed to embrace or comfort children, children must care for and comfort each other, she said.
The lawyer said that hygiene at the facility is also of concern. Some children shower about once a week and sometimes there is no more soap, with only shampoo available. One child told Welch that she had not showered for six days.
Limited shelter saves worry
CBP officials did not respond to CNN’s requests to comment on why lawyers are not allowed to visit the facility.
Earlier this week, the senior official at the head of the agency described the conditions in the facility to reporters, including three meals served daily, 24/7 access to snacks and drinks, showers offered at least every 48 hours and a recreation area.
“These are just a few things we do with the children,” said Troy Miller, senior official who fulfills the duties of CBP commissioner. “I tell you, many of us, perhaps most of us are parents, fathers, mothers – I have a 6-year-old myself – and these border patrol agents go above and beyond every day to care for the children.”
Welch said that what is needed immediately is rapid case management that can place the children in HHS care as soon as possible.
Officials said they are increasing the rate of processing.
“(W) e continue to struggle with the number of individuals in our custody, especially given the pandemic,” Miller said Wednesday. “We need to get them out faster.”
Over the past few days, the number of children in HHS supervision has climbed, indicating that the department is gradually absorbing the number of children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and taking them out of border patrol facilities and shelters where they can be cared for. .
There are about 8,800 unaccompanied children in HHS custody, the department said Thursday, compared to last week when the numbers turned around 7,700.
CNN’s Geneva Sands and Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report.