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by james gilbert
yuma sun
june 29, 2019
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The Yuma Sector Border Patrol unveiled a massive tent facility within the compound at the Yuma Station recently that will be used to process and house the unprecedented number of migrant families and unaccompanied children still arriving at the U.S./Mexico border.
“We have Border Patrol facilities that can handle processing and detention, but they are inadequate for this population and the amount of people that we are seeing,” Chief Patrol Agent, Yuma Border Patrol Sector, Anthony J. Porvaznik said in reference to the three stations within the sector. “This new facility is CBP’s commitment to bringing better conditions and more humane treatment to people that are taken into our custody.”
Porvaznik explained that the Yuma Sector, which secures 126 miles of U.S. border from the Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line, has been operating over capacity because so many migrants are entering the country illegally, turning themselves in to agents and asking for asylum.
The temporary tent facility, which is designed to hold up to 500 migrants, is weatherproofed and climate-controlled and will serve as holding facilities for parents with their children until they are transferred to ICE — or in the case of unaccompanied children, the Department of Health and Human Services — hopefully within 72 hours.
“Overall, this is just a much better space for Border Patrol agents to do their jobs,” Porvaznik said. “It’s also a much safer environment for the children in our custody until we can get them transferred.”
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Border Patrol agents guided members of the media through two of the multiple large “soft-sided” structures, one of which had dozens of mats used for sleeping piled up along one side. a guard shack in the center and a large screen TV connected to a DVD player.
Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge Humberto Guerra, who gave one of the guided tours, explained that there are four tents meant to house 125 migrants each. They are cleaned after each use and large enough for each person inside to have 60 square feet of space.
Another of the tents shown to media was the processing center, which featured several rows of benches, tables filled with computers and other electronic equipment, a row of refrigerators for water and other food items and an area with shelves of storage bins containing new clothing such as socks and underwear, nonperishable snacks and other hygiene supplies.
Upon entering the tent, all of which had fabricated flooring, agent Guerra pointed to a partitioned off area where medical personnel would screen migrants injuries and illnesses, explaining that it is also where every detainee’s intake will be conducted, which included running a records check, conducting interviews and entering their personal information.
Guerra also said the tent has separate shower sections for both men and women, each with multiple stalls, chemical toilets, baby-changing tables and sinks. Two additional trailers, filled with giant washing machines and dryers, will serve as laundry rooms. There were also baby cribs being stored nearby.
Porvaznik said while contract staff will do all the cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, assist with providing security around the premises, and maintenance, only Border Patrol agents will have direct contact with the detainee population.
“To do all the work that is needed we are hiring in the neighborhood of 180 people,” Porvaznik said. “Those are local jobs in the community that pay $18 an hour.”
To deal with the continuous overcrowding occurring within the Yuma Sector, the Border Patrol had to expand into a building and a partially outdoor area within its compound on Avenue A, by converting them into a makeshift detention area and a holding space.
The soft-sided facilities will remain in use as long as the migrant crisis continues along the border.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuma_Sun
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