Poor conditions at Texas facility for migrant children alleged by whistleblower complaint

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EL PASO, Texas (KFOX) A whistleblower complaint brought to Congress on Wednesday alleges poor conditions for migrant children housed at the Fort Bliss facility near El Paso.

The testimony comes from two people who volunteered to work at the facility between April and June.

The report details allegations of unsanitary conditions and lack of adequate mental health care in the temporary facility.

These are current federal employees who worked at the facility who, frankly, are shocked by the conditions and treatment of these children, said David Seide, senior counsel for the non-partisan, non-profit Government Accountability Project.

Seide represents whistleblowers.

The issues our clients have reported relate to the negligent abuse of these children, he said.

The report says migrant children, some with suicidal thoughts, were referred to staff who were not qualified to assess their trauma and mental health needs.

The complaint is the second the nonprofit has filed about the facility in less than a month.

They need to find qualified people to work in these facilities so that the children are well taken care of, Seide said. We think that by bringing this kind of thing to light, it’s essentially going to force the agency, HHS, to fix the problem.

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the temporary shelter, did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

But last month, after similar allegations, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra visited the site and said: We are still committed to reviewing any allegations or reports of harm, lack of service or abuse. And this is done, not only on an ongoing basis, but immediately after receiving the report. We have a legal obligation to do this, and it’s just the right thing to do.

Copyright 2021 KFOX via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.

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