Government Greg Abbott wants children in migrant children to be housed in San Antonio, following reports of abuse and understaffing

SAN ANTONIO (Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Thursday, April 8. Click here for the latest post on KSAT.com.)

Gov. Greg Abbott has called on the federal government to house a facility that accommodates migrant children at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio after complaints of abuse and understaffing were received Wednesday morning.

Abbott said the complaints were “credible” and were addressed to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. He declined to provide information about the tipster, but said it was from at least one or more people who were in the facility.

The allegations include sexual assault, understaffing, that they are not fed enough food and COVID-positive children who are not isolated from others.

The governor said Texas Rangers would immediately begin investigating the cases. It is unclear how many children were allegedly abused.

“This facility is a nightmare for health and safety,” Abbott said. “The Biden administration must stop this facility immediately.”

“The Biden government opened the borders and could not plan the influx of unaccompanied children crossing the border, and now our worst fears are – allegations of child abuse and neglect,” Abbott said. ‘I call on the Biden Government to close this facility, and I urge the DPS and the Texas Rangers to immediately begin investigating these allegations. President Biden’s disastrous decisions have caused this crisis, and his government must now take action to protect these children, secure the border and end this crisis. ”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that it could not comment on specific issues but had a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior. ‘

In a statement, a DFPS spokesman confirmed that the agency had received the allegations.

“The Department of Family and Protection Services (DFPS) today received three separate reports alleging that abuse and neglect took place at the Freeman Coliseum, which currently houses minor minors. “Because the facility is not licensed by the state, we do not have the jurisdiction to investigate it, but the information we received was shared with DPS,” the statement said.

Bexar County Pct. 1 Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores, who has visited the facility regularly, said the allegations were political in nature and amounted to ‘fake news’.

“They get three meals a day plus two snacks,” she said. “The conditions are sanitary and good.”

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a statement saying, “These allegations about the federal operation are disturbing if they are true, and a thorough investigation is needed.”

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who traveled through four similar migrant facilities in Texas, called for a federal investigation into the matter.

“Unaccompanied children arriving at our border have already gone through dangerous conditions at home and a treacherous journey to get here,” Cornyn said in a statement. “The fact that any child will experience abuse in the care of the US government is despicable. The HHS Inspector General must fully investigate these allegations and the treatment of children at this facility. ”

The news conference took place outside the Freeman Coliseum, which houses 1,370 boys between the ages of 13 and 17 as an emergency department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Expo Center, located next to the AT&T Center, where the San Antonio Spurs play, has an internal potential of 2,100 beds and an external capacity of 300 medical beds.

Upon arrival, the children receive medical examinations and any follow-up care needed for injuries or illnesses they had when they arrived there, officials said earlier.

Following Abbott’s announcement, Ike Hajinazrian, a local White House spokeswoman, released the following statement following the allegations:

“The Biden administration takes the safety and well-being of children in its care very seriously. At present we see no basis for Governor Abbott’s call to close the San Antonio Freeman Coliseum as a survey site, but his claims will be investigated and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services. ‘

Abbott has been highly critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the influx of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming that the government is refusing to secure the border, which he says has led to a sharp increase in illegal border crossings. See the data here.

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