Camp Roberts could house 5,000 migrant children

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Biden administration has told Central Coast leaders they may house around five thousand migrant children at Camp Roberts in Northern San Luis Obispo county. That's according to San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg.

The decision is not final, but federal officials have been in communication with San Luis Obispo county leaders this week.

"I think everything is under review," Ortiz-Legg said. "Not from our office, obviously. This is the Federal Government's decision. This is Federal Government property. We just happen to be the host county of a Federal Government facility. That facility is being looked at as possibly a place where they could send up to five thousand children. I think that likely, if it does happen, it will be done in small increments at a time. Anything of this logistical nature takes a lot of planning and execution to be able to do it right."

Camp Roberts is a California Army National Guard base just north of San Miguel. Supervisor Ortiz-Legg says no county resources will be required.

"These are children in need," Ortiz-Legg said. "There is the capability of doing this properly where we're not impacting our local community and that we just need to work together to make sure that's how it's executed."

The Department of Health and Human Services is legally required to care for all migrant children until they're released to a suitable sponsor while they await immigration proceedings.

"I really would hope that people would consider the fact that these are children, that it's nothing we would wish upon any child to be fleeing violence or looking for a safe haven."

As of May 2, 2021, there were 22,264 minors in HHS care.