DALLAS (NewsNation Now) — Thousands of migrant teenage boys seeking asylum in the United States arrived in Dallas late Wednesday night.
At least four buses full of teenage boys pulled up at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, NewsNation affiliate KXAN reports. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has turned the convention center into an emergency center for at least the next 90 days to help ease the strain on intake areas at the border overrun with a surge of migrants.
Children and teens crossing by themselves rose 60% from this January to more than 9,400 in February, according to the most recent statistics released publicly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
As of Sunday, more than 4,000 migrant children were being held by Border Patrol, including at least 3,000 in custody longer than that 72-hour limit.
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department quickly opened the makeshift shelter in Dallas because there is no more room at the HHS sites nearby.
While this surge is similar to what happened in 2019 when Donald Trump was president, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is blaming the Biden administration for the current situation.
“These sites are a direct result of President Biden’s reckless open border policies that are causing a surge in crossings and cartel activity,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “The administration has yet to provide answers that Texans deserve.”
According to Abbott, Biden’s administration needs to provide information on where these migrant teents have come from and a timeline of how long they’ll be in Texas/the U.S.
“The Biden administration must also answer for enticing unaccompanied minors into inhumane conditions that expose these children to traffickers. To abuse. And to terror,” Abbott said.
A tent facility operated by the Border Patrol in Donna, some 500 miles south of Dallas, is holding more than 1,000 children and teenagers, some as young as 4 years old.
Lawyers who inspect immigrant detention facilities under a court settlement say they interviewed children who reported being held in packed conditions in the tent, with some sleeping on the floor and others not able to shower for five days.
The Associated Press NewsNation affiliate KXAN contributed to this report.