Tents are going up near El Paso for children being separated from immigrant parents [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Dallas News

2 HRS AGO
Tents are going up near El Paso for children being separated from immigrant parents

Written by Alfredo Corchado, Border-Mexico correspondent
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TORNILLO — With the number of immigrant children separated from their parents reaching nearly 2,000, this small town in far west Texas is preparing for young Central Americans who will be housed in a temporary shelter on the border with Mexico.

At least one white tent is already visible at the Tornillo-Marcelino Serna Port of Entry, about a 30-minute drive southeast from El Paso. The shelter was last used in 2016 when a surge of Central Americans — migrant children and families — were housed here.

The drama being played out here is a result of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy first announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in April that requires that all immigrants who cross the border be charged with a crime for illegal entry.

In the past, relatively few immigrants faced criminal charges and most ended up in the civil immigration courts.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/immigration/2018/06/15/tents-going-near-el-paso-children-separated-immigrant-parents