A tent city in the west Texas desert set up to hold immigrant children has expanded its capacity by nearly 10 times to 3,800 beds since it opened in June, officials said on Friday.
The facility in the border city of Tornillo sprang up with 400 beds when the Trump administration put into place its "zero tolerance" policy that called for separating parents from children after families crossed the border from Mexico illegally.
While officials say Tornillo no longer holds minors separated under "zero tolerance", after the administration rolled back that policy following a public outcry and under pressure from US courts, the facility has grown. It now includes children who crossed the US border on their own.
Tornillo houses 1,465 children between the ages of 13 and 17, of whom nearly 900 were detained coming from Guatemala, officials from the US Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services said during a camp tour.
"No children that were a part of the family separations are at the Tornillo facility," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.
Federal officials would not let reporters on the tour interview children and has tightly controlled access to the tent city in Tornillo, a town of about 1,600 people some 30 miles (50 km) southeast of El Paso.
Since it opened, the camp, with air-conditioned tents, has enhanced its amenities to include access to legal services for the children, medical care, soccer, televised sports events and religious services, US officials said.
The average stay of a child at Tornillo is 29 days before the child is released to a sponsor, according to Health and Human Services.
Civil rights groups have said that no matter what amenities are offered, holding children in a detention facility for prolonged periods can be a human rights violation.
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Read more:
Hundreds of children in limbo as US races to reunite immigrant families
Family separation protests flood US cities
Migrants dying from heat on US-Mexico border rises by half in nine months
Trump says illegal immigrants should be deported with ‘no judges or court cases’
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Trump administration officials have said the zero tolerance policy, under which some 2,600 children were separated from their parents, was needed to secure the border and deter illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump was forced to end the policy after public furor over the separations and the chaotic way in which they were conducted, with hundreds of parents deported without their children.
According to a court filing by the government in late September, 136 children separated under the "zero tolerance" policy remain in government custody.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
