Federal Government Allocates $12.9M To House Unaccompanied Minors At Facilities In Ellis & Rockwall Counties
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ROYSE CITY (CBSDFW.COM) - For the first time, reporters were given an inside look at the Lakeview Camp, where 500 unaccompanied children from Central America are staying after they illegally crossed into Texas.
The government didn't allow reporters to record video or take photos, but the U.S. Health and Human Services instead provided a video of the facility, which is a church camp owned by the Assemblies of God.
The federal government has allocated $12.9 million dollars to house and care for the 12-17 year old boys and girls for 21 days at Lakeview Camp and at the Sabine Creek Ranch outside of Royse City in Rockwall County.
But officials with the BCFS HHS, a San Antonio-based charity running the operations at both facilities believe the program will cost roughly $8 million. That's about $275 per child, per day.
The money goes to pay for operational and medical staffing, mental health services and for local law enforcement to provide security.
Rick DuBose, the superintendent of the North Texas District of the Assemblies of God, says the Lake Camp receives about $60 per child, per day. "Which is cheaper than going to Motel 6. Plus we give them three meals and two snacks and other opportunities we provide."
DuBose said they stepped up to fulfill a need. "The compassion side is not hard. We try to base everything we do on what the Lord has taught us in the scripture and being compassionate to children is high on his list. We can't just send them back out into the desert to die."
The government needed the beds at the facility and at another facility in Rockwall County because of rapidly rising number of unaccompanied children from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. They're fleeing economic hardship and gang violence.
According to the U.S. Border Patrol, there were 37 youngsters who crossed into Texas in the Big Bend area in October and November of last year. During the same months this year, there were 321 kids who crossed.
In the Rio Grande border area, there were 3,219 youngsters who came to Texas illegally in October and November of last year. This year, the number doubled to 6,465.
DuBose said while he has a lot of compassion for the children, he strongly disagrees with the federal government's policy that creates the need for his program. "What we're doing here to take care of these kids is not a show of support for the policy of the United States of America. It's not a show of support for the way it's being done for how we're handling our relationship with other nations for the decisions that are being made in Washington."
A San Antonio-based charity, BCFS HHS, is running the operations at both facilities in Ellis and Rockwall County.
An official with the organization predicts more and more unaccompanied children will continue to cross into Texas as long as the government's policy remains.
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