FEMA Expands Response to Unaccompanied Children Entering U.S.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to launch an effort to care for unaccompanied children who are entering the United States from the southern border.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), there have been record numbers of people crossing U.S. borders for a number of reasons, including violence, food insecurity, and unrest caused by the global pandemic. The department is working to move unaccompanied children from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody into the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) so they can be connected to relatives in the United States.

Secretary Mayorkas explained, “As I have said many times, a Border Patrol facility is no place for a child. We are working in partnership with HHS to address the needs of unaccompanied children, which is made only more difficult given the protocols and restrictions required to protect the public health and the health of the children themselves. Our goal is to ensure that unaccompanied children are transferred to HHS as quickly as possible, consistent with legal requirements and in the best interest of the children.”

The COVID-19 pandemic adds another layer to this challenge since many legal processes have been slowed down by the onset of the pandemic. FEMA, with the help of other components of DHS, is attempting to expand lodging options for unaccompanied minors.

Several lawmakers have spoken about the influx of immigrants at the southern border, including Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX), who called the influx “an enormous challenge.”

Secretary Mayorkas furthered, “It is never safe to come to the United States through irregular channels, and this is particularly true during a pandemic. I am grateful for the exceptional talent and responsiveness of the FEMA team. I am incredibly proud of the agents of the Border Patrol, who have been working around the clock in difficult circumstances to take care of children temporarily in our care.”