The Biden administration is calling in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help it care for a record number of teens and children arriving at the border unaccompanied by their parents, the Washington Post reports.
The influx of young asylum seekers has outstripped the feds’ current ability to house them in detention sites and tent shelters, and immigration lawyers warned the Post that the overcrowded conditions have become dangerous.
FEMA now will support a 90-day government-wide push to stave off a border crisis, the Post reports, citing Department of Homeland Security officials.
Some 4,000 minors are currently being housed in holding facilities and cells intended for adults, according to the paper’s report.
Roughly 75% of the minors in custody are ages 15 to 17, according to the Post, citing the latest federal numbers. However, some are kindergarten age or younger.
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This article appears in Mar 10-23, 2021.
