HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) — On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement announced that two new Emergency Intake Sites (EIS) opened to receive unaccompanied children.
The two EIS are the Dimmit EIS in Carrizo Springs and the other in Pecos, Texas.
The Dimmit EIS will provide shelter for 13 to 17-year-old girls and boys and has a potential capacity of 440 beds. The first unaccompanied children arrived on Monday, April 5.
The Pecos EIS has the capacity to shelter 2,000 boys and girls from ages 13 to 17. Approximately 125 children arrived at the Pecos EIS.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working diligently with its interagency partners to ensure that unaccompanied migrant children are unified with family members or other suitable sponsors in the U.S. as quickly and safely as possible.
The Administration for Children and Families stated in a press release.
The ORR is working to increase the capacity of both facilities to 13,500 beds.
According to the press release, all children are tested for COVID-19 before being transported and are tested every three days while staying at the facility.
“It is important to note that children with complex medical cases are not placed in EIS,” stated the press release.
If a parent is trying to contact their child in ORR care, the parent can call the ORR National Call Center at (800) 203-7001, or email information@ORRNCC.com.
The call center can confirm to the caller if the child is in ORR’s care, but will not share the location or personal information.
The ORR shelter is responsible for responding to a parent/sponsor/legal representative and collects information necessary to verify the relationship and place the child with the parent/guardian/sponsor.
The Administration for Children and Families stated in a press release.
