(Dario Lopez-Mills/Pool/AP Photo)Īn HHS official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that conditions at Fort Bliss now are “night and day” compared to then. Customs and Border Protection in Donna, Texas, on March 30, 2021. Young minors lie inside a pod at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley run by the U.S.
“Interviewees shared children’s fears of being forgotten by case management staff, which led to uncertainty about when they would be released from the facility and reunited with their family or other sponsors,” the Office of Inspector General found.Īnother staff told investigators that a young girl begin to hit and cut herself in front of a group of children after learning that her mother had not yet been contacted by a case manager as part of the sponsor screening process. The investigation included document analyses, a site visit last June, and interviews with 66 Fort Bliss staff from June 11 to Dec. Similarly, a youth care worker recalled compiling a list of nearly 100 children who had been at the facility for more than 30 days without frequent communication with case management staff, while many had not been contacted after their initial intake interview. Near the end of May, 700 children at the military base had not been seen by a case manager for approximately 60 days, according to a case management team member. The number of minors who arrived at the southern border without a parent or legal guardian and were referred to the care of HHS, rose steeply from less than 2,000 in October 2020 to over 20,000 in April 2021. The emergency site on Fort Bliss was firstly open in March 2021 to meet basic standards of child care for unaccompanied children on a short-term basis, as the country saw an enormous spike in illegal immigrants since President Joe Biden took office. “This lack of communication contributed to what another interviewee called ‘a pervasive sense of despair’ among children at the facility, who reportedly experienced distress, anxiety, and in some cases, panic attacks,” the report said. In the 58-page report ( pdf) issued last week by the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) inspector general’s office, investigators found that some illegal immigrant youth at the emergency shelter inside Fort Bliss had to wait weeks before hearing updates from case managers due to large caseloads, COVID-19 related manpower shortages, and lack of staff training. border alone and were temporarily sheltered in a Texas military base last year suffered from distress, anxiety, and panic attacks without receiving quality services that prioritize their safety and well-being, shows a September watchdog report. Customs and Border Patrol, the FBI, and many other agencies have offices in El Paso.įind neighborhood details, local photos, insider info and more for Fort Bliss, Texas from our partners at Millie.Unaccompanied children who crossed the U.S. The Brigade Modernization Command, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, and Joint Task Force – North also call Fort Bliss home.Įl Pasoans are generally friendly with a gracious attitude towards the abundant military, federal, and government workers that make up a significant slice of the region’s workforce and economy. In addition to the dynamic mountain terrain, Fort Bliss also claims a staggering 1.2 million acres of desert outfitted for training, replete with dozens of mock villages and cities. Boasting the biggest training area in the United States, Fort Bliss provides the space for Artillery, Armor, and Infantry units to hone their warfighting skills. The 1st Armored Division, also known as “Old Ironsides,” is the largest resident and also the Army’s oldest and most renowned armored unit. This massive installation is located at the westernmost corner of Texas on the Rio Grande River - just across the border from Mexico. Fort Bliss sits at the base of the majestic Franklin Mountain Range in El Paso, Texas.
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