Houston migrant holding facility closed amid claims of poor conditions

The volunteer, who was a federal employee, had an unrelated medical episode, according to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Video Transcript

- The immigrant-led organizations are still wondering why this facility here closed so abruptly. You can see the trailers for these organizations that were helping out with this facility here are still out here. A lot of activity actually going on early this morning.

And as you might know, this location on Air Center opened up two weeks ago to house hundreds of migrant girls from the border. This, before buses were seen coming and going yesterday with boxes and computers being moved. The US department of Health and Human Services say the teens inside will be transferred or reunited with family or sponsors.

In a press conference yesterday, local non-profit, FIELL, did say conditions inside were not fit, were appropriate for the girls. Those who have been placed with a sponsor are being transferred to another site.

SHEILA JACKSON LEE: I'm very glad that the National Association of Christian Churches stood up and accepted the call. There's no other facility in this area. And HHS decided to contract with them for this three-week period.

What happened is 130 of these kids-- and this was given to me earlier today by HHS-- were able to be reunited with their families. The other children are going to take a longer period of time. They found other beds in Carrizo Springs and other sites that had permanent beds with wraparound services.

- You heard Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee say there the health and Human Services says that 130 of the 450 girls here have plans to be reunited. Right now, the exact reason for the closure was not immediately released.

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