U.S. Holding Over 1400 Immigrant Children in Former Walmart Superstore

In Brownsville, Texas, over 1400 immigrant boys that are not orphaned are being kept in a shelter dubbed ‘Casa Padre.’

The boys, mostly between the ages of 10-17 and from Central America and Mexico, are housed inside a former Walmart superstore. There are five boys per room—but the rooms are built to house 4. They are given sufficient meals, and entertained with soccer, Tai Chi, school, and 2 hours of play a day outside. There is no sign of foul play to the children, or overly poor living conditions.

The organization responsible for this—Southwest Key Programs—claims it is only enforcing the zero-tolerance rule announced by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, which called for taking away children and prosecuting parents who cross the border with them illegally. This resulted in thousands of children being taken from their families when they attempted to cross the border, with their parents most likely taken to ICE facilities.

Southwest Key Programs also claim that their goal is to “reunite these children with their families as soon as we can do that.” In contrast, the boys, on average, tend to stay there an average of 49 days before being placed with a sponsor. So it is not guaranteed that they will be reunited with their families, but most likely with a relative. But sometimes, they are deported.

Rallies and protests against these facilities have arisen as a result of hearing about this appalling separation of families. On Thursday, over 60 cities will participate in these protests, including DC, Los Angeles, and Austin.

“We oppose the cruel, inhumane and unjustified separation of children from their families along the US border and other points of entry,” says the organization “Families Belong Together,” or “Familias Unidas No Divididas.”

Even celebrities and other non-profits are joining in the effort to oppose this zero-tolerance policy proposed by the Trump Administration. The change means that adults coming across the border with children will be separated as the parents await their criminal proceedings.

In one case, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras was breastfeeding her daughter when the government took her daughter away. When the mother resisted she was put in handcuffs, according to Natalia Cornelio, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project.

They actually separated an infant from their mother…

This topic should not even be up for discussion in an ideal world. The idea of signing a bill that believes that family is all of a sudden unimportant and that kids do not need their parents—it’s merciless. “I really think that everybody should be able to get behind this message that these families belong together and they shouldn’t be separated in this way,” said Shannon Heesacker McClain from Families Belong Together.

Featured Image via: Flickr/Amnesty International Southern Regional Office