Government to inspect immigrant children’s shelter conditions

The inspector general’s office of the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday it was launching a broad review of conditions at shelters for immigrant children. The agency’s Office of Refugee Resettlement currently cares for about 12,000 immigrant children, including more than 2,000 who were separated from their parents after their families illegally crossed the U.S. southern border. The inspector general’s office said it planned to finish its probe and release a report by the end of the year.

Also on Wednesday, the Defense Department announced the Department of Homeland Security had requested space on a military base to host up to 12,000 beds for immigrant families detained after crossing the border. Such a facility would host parents and children together and would be required to have air conditioning, libraries, and private showers, along with medical, dental, and mental health facilities. Three existing family detention facilities are already filled to capacity.