STATEMENT: LIRS Reacts to Reports of Alarming Conditions for Migrant Children at Fort Bliss

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 7, 2021

Contact: Kimberly Uslin | kuslin@lirs.org | 717-479-2932

Washington D.C. – Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is deeply involved by right this moment’s stories of abuse occurring at consumption facilities for migrant kids from authorities whistleblowers.

The Authorities Accountability Mission launched alarming disclosures of abuses occurring at a Ft. Bliss Emergency Consumption Shelter for unaccompanied kids. together with “undue reliance on [an] unskilled non-public contractor,” overcrowded situations, inadequate and negligent oversight, and case administration failures.

The Division of Well being and Human Providers has been working has been working a number of large-scale emergency consumption websites for the reason that inflow of unaccompanied kids started this spring. Ft. Bliss is the biggest of the services, with the capability to carry roughly 5,500 kids. The services are usually not topic to state licensing necessities and, regardless of escalating issues by advocates, requirements of care haven’t been launched.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, supplied the next assertion on the stories: 

“The stories popping out of Fort Bliss are deeply troubling and easily unacceptable. Because the chief of a company that cares for unaccompanied kids and emphasizes trauma-informed care, I’m horrified {that a} contractor with out childcare expertise is overseeing the well-being of hundreds of youngsters.

As a mom, I can’t get the picture out of my head of that younger lady who was ready for the bus able to go house, solely to search out out it was a merciless mistake and she or he would stay in federal custody.

The Biden Administration should act now to maneuver kids from these horrific situations into small, secure, family-centric properties like these within the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service community. Fort Bliss and different momentary inflow services have to be shut down as quickly as doable. Allow us to pray that these kids are capable of heal from their previous trauma and see a brighter future.”

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Based in 1939, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is likely one of the largest immigration and refugee resettlement companies in the US. LIRS is nationally acknowledged for its management working with and advocating for refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied kids, immigrants in detention, households fractured by migration and different susceptible populations. By way of 80 years of service and advocacy, LIRS has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees rebuild their lives in America.