McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of children are waiting away from their parents inside a Border Patrol holding facility in South Texas, with groups of 20 or more children to a single cage. There are bottles of water, bags of chips, and large foil sheets intended to serve as blankets.
The U.S. Border Patrol on Sunday allowed reporters to briefly visit the facility where the agency is holding children and adults after arresting them at the border.
Nearly 2,000 children have been taken from their parents since the Trump administration announced its “zero tolerance” policy against people entering the U.S. without legal permission.
The Border Patrol says it’s providing adequate meals, bathrooms access and medical care to people being held.
But Michelle Brane of the Women’s Refugee Commission says she’s met teenagers caring for unrelated young children because they’ve been separated from their adult guardians.
