The U.S. Border Patrol is only supposed to detain children entering the country without documentation for up to three days, but the U.S. Health and Human Services Department has nearly run out of space to put unaccompanied children picked up at the border, leaving them in the agency’s custody even longer.
As first reported by The Associated Press on Monday, Health and Human Services is swiftly trying to open facilities across the country to house these children in. One of those will be Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, according to a memo sent to City Council on Monday. Health and Human Services staff did not respond for comment.