The drama of immigrant children in the US does not yield 1:01
(CNN) -
The inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday a review at the Fort Bliss facility for unaccompanied migrant children amid reports from whistleblowers about poor conditions at the site.
During the spring in the US, the Biden administration established more than a dozen HHS-monitored emergency intake sites to ease overcrowding at border facilities and accommodate a record number of unaccompanied migrant children.
As of the end of July, only five emergency intake sites remained open, according to HHS.
Immigrant children are trapped in limbo as the Biden administration opens emergency shelters across the country
Among the largest sites is a facility at Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Texas, that has a potential capacity of up to 10,000 beds.
Attorneys who previously visited the facility have likened it to "storing" hundreds of children.
In a complaint filed last week, a complainant also said the children told him they "felt like they were in prison."
"I'm very sad every day": migrant children spend long periods in temporary shelters, lawyers say
In his announcement, the HHS inspector general cited concerns raised about the quality of case management provided at Fort Bliss and said the review will include analysis of interviews and on-site observations.
Case managers work with children to relocate them with guardians, such as parents or other relatives, to the United States while they continue their immigration procedures.
Lack of sufficient case management can result in children staying in the facility for extended periods.
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"We take very seriously the concerns raised by individuals regarding the quality of case management at the Fort Bliss Emergency Intake Center and the potentially negative impact on the health, safety and well-being of children." HHS OIG spokeswoman Tesia Williams said in a statement.
"If, during this review, we obtain information about conduct that appears to be outside the law or HHS policies and regulations, we will forward those details to our Office of Investigations for appropriate action."
Immigrant children