The Trump administration is scouting property near San Antonio and four other U.S. cities for permanent sites to hold hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children, a government official told the Associated Press.
In addition to property in and around San Antonio, the feds are considering Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix, Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber said.
Bidding documents obtained by the AP show the government is looking to house up to 500 children at the potential sites. Existing buildings must be roughly 100,000 square feet and have two acres of land for outdoor recreation.
Federal officials are seeking 20-year leases for most of the sites, suggesting they intend to keep them in use long-term.
The solicitation comes as the Trump administration faces increasing outcry over its prolonged detention of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum.
On Monday, the United Nations' human rights chief tore into the administration for its treatment of migrants, saying she is “appalled by the conditions” at detention sites. Days prior, the Department of Homeland Security’s own internal watchdog issued a report saying overcrowding at its centers poses an "immediate risk" to health and safety.
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