The Biden administration says there’s ''no basis'' for calls to shut down the San Antonio migrant facility where the Department of Health and Human Services is investigating claims of sexual abuse and assault.
''Well first we take safety and the well-being of children in our care very seriously, hence our earlier conversation about the funding spent to keep them safe during the pandemic,'' White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday. She made her comments during a press briefing when asked about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s calls to shut down the facility. ''His claims will be looked into and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
''Currently we have no basis for his call to shut down the San Antonio Freeman Coliseum as an intake site, but we will of course — we take these allegations seriously and they will be investigated,'' she added.
Abbott on Wednesday said officials at Texas Health and Human Services and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services have received ''very credible allegations'' that children at the shelter at Freeman Coliseum are being sexually assaulted and that there weren’t enough staff to supervise the children properly.
''This facility is a health and safety nightmare,'' Abbott said. ''The Biden administration is now presiding over the abuse of children. To end this abuse, the Biden administration must immediately shut down this facility.''
At least 1,700 teenage boys who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian are waiting at the shelter to be placed with sponsors or family members ahead of scheduled asylum hearings.
The number of undocumented immigrants apprehended after crossing into the U.S. at the southern border skyrocketed in March to more than 171,000, the highest levels in at least 15 years, according to preliminary data.
Last month, Customs and Border Protection took in more than 18,800 unaccompanied minors, a 99% rise from February and a figure significantly higher than the previous one-month high of 11,861 set in May 2019.
HHS opened the emergency intake site last month due to the surge in border crossings, which the Biden administration has been scrambling to keep up with.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.