April 02, 2019 - 3:27 PM
MIAMI - Federal officials are once again expanding a detention camp for migrant children in a Miami suburb as the number of immigrants crossing into the U.S. rises.
Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz said in a Tuesday statement that the Trump administration notified members of Congress that its capacity was growing from 2,350 to 3,200.
A Monday email from an adviser of the Department of Health and Human Services said the expansion was due to a surge of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Children who arrive without parents or legal guardians are placed in custody of the agency.
The government had announced in December that the facility in Homestead, Florida, was increasing the number of beds from 1,200 to 2,350. About 2,000 teenagers were being detained there as of last week.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019