Congressman Salud Carbajal tours Texas border facility for unaccompanied minors

OXNARD, Calif. -- Congressman Salud Carbajal spoke on Thursday about his tour to the Carrizo Springs Influx Care Facility in Texas this week.

The facility is being used as temporary housing for unaccompanied migrant children who cross the border from Mexico.

“They are coming alone, that is why they are unaccompanied,” said Carbajal. “I did ask them what made you take this dangerous journey to come here. They all said two things. One is to get a better education, and to pursue a better way of life.”

Congressman Carbajal said nearly 800 children between the ages of 13-17 are currently in the facility. He witnessed kids being tested for COVID. They were also given clothes, shoes, and hygiene kits, as well as an academic program.

“This is day and night from the previous administration,” said Carbajal. “Overwhelmingly everyone say that they liked all the services and the food and everything being provided. I really pressed them and asked if they could name one thing that you don’t like, and I didn’t hear one answer in the negative.”

Government leaders say nearly 80% of the children will be reunited with family in the U.S. The others will be placed in foster care.

“The children are still there way too long in these processing facilities and at the border,” said Carbajal. “Flores case requires that all children be transferred out no later than 72 hours, and of course that standard is not being met because of the system being overwhelmed.”

Carbajal previously toured detention centers in Southern Texas and New Mexico in 2018 and 2019. He says living conditions have improved dramatically since then, but there's still more work to be done.

“The fact of the matter is we have a broken immigration system on all fronts,” said Carbajal. “The policy that pertain to these young people coming to the border is also broken so we need to fix that as soon as possible. Keep in mind that the Biden administration has been in place for two months in trying to put up a system that was dismantled by the previous Administration, but that doesn’t mean that this administration doesn’t need to move quicker.”