Migrant children in custody

Emergency refuge centers set up along border for children

Unprecedented Flood of Young Latino Immigrants (3108)

A new center in McAllen, Texas, is part of the Church response to the surge triggered by harsh conditions in Central America and changes in U.S. deportation policies.

by WAYNE LAUGESEN 06/13/2014 Comments (11)

Central American immigrants ride atop a freight train to Ixtepec, Mexico, on their way to the United States.

– John Moore/Getty Images

MCALLEN, Texas — Children from Mexico and Central America arrive at the bus station in tattered clothing they’ve worn for weeks. They’re unshowered, hungry and scared. Boys and girls as young as 3 cry out for Mommy, Daddy or Grandma.

Hundreds who arrive here each week have their immediate needs fulfilled by a new Catholic Charities center that opened June 11 near the McAllen bus station.

The children are part of a massive, unprecedented and unanticipated flood of young immigrants escaping treacherous conditions in Latin America, after President Barack Obama announced plans two years ago to stop deportations of child immigrants who meet certain criteria.

The Associated Press reported that authorities apprehended 47,017 unaccompanied children on the border from October through May, up 92% from the same period a year ago. Other news reports say the surge has overwhelmed federal border facilities that lack adequate food, beds and sanitary facilities.

The federal government is trying to hire temporary border agents to babysit the children, as the government determines one at a time whether to deport or connect individuals with family members in the States. Meanwhile, volunteers from religious communities are stepping in to help.

The days-old Catholic Charities facility in McAllen provides clothing, food and personal items as young children and teens wait for federal agents to open case files. Volunteers sing to the kids, assuring them they are loved by God and will be safe.

The center resulted after a handful of Catholic women took initiative to provide for the children’s immediate needs by showing up with supplies.