Camp Roberts could temporarily house migrant children from Mexican border
Camp Roberts may temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children currently staying in crowded facilities on the United States-Mexico border, according to the California National Guard.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent a request to the Department of Defense asking to use “an area of land” at the California Army National Guard base in northern San Luis Obispo County, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, a spokesman for the California National Guard.
The portion of Camp Roberts would “temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children,” Shiroma said in an email.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed the request in a briefing on Thursday.
“I can confirm that we have received a request for assistance from HHS for the potential use of Camp Roberts in California to house unaccompanied minors,” Kirby said. “We are moving forward with analyzing that request for assistance right now.”
Kirby wasn’t able to confirm how many kids might be sent here and referred additional questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children are currently in government custody after traveling to the United States-Mexico border, ABC News reported on Monday.
More than 5,500 of those children are in Customs and Border Patrol facilities, which are very overcrowded and are struggling to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, the ABC News story said.
Check back for updates on this continuing story. McClatchy D.C. Bureau reporter Tara Copp contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 10:37 AM.
