Biden officials scramble to expand Pomona shelter for migrant children amid 2021 surge
In August 2021 the Biden administration pressed contractor Cherokee Federal to quickly add beds and COVID quarantine space at a Pomona, California, shelter for unaccompanied migrant children.
Emails obtained by the Center to Advance Security in America reveal that in early August 2021 the Biden administration urgently sought to increase capacity at the Pomona, California, shelter for unaccompanied migrant children. An ACF official marked the request as high importance, asking Cherokee Federal how quickly it could add bunk beds and how much COVID-quarantine space remained. Cherokee Federal sought extensions to finalize pricing, but the agency denied further delays, imposing a same-day deadline.
The Pomona facility, managed under a $706.9 million HHS contract, ultimately accommodated up to 2,500 children simultaneously and served roughly 10,000 before its November 2021 closure. A June 2022 HHS Office of Inspector General audit reported that most inspected emergency sites, including Pomona, did not adhere to federal COVID-testing protocols due to the rapid expansion. The Office of Refugee Resettlement, now caring for about 1,725 children, has located 157,000 placed minors, while continuing to search for thousands of missing youths.
Why it matters
The story shows how rapid policy responses to border surges can strain shelter capacity and public-health safeguards for vulnerable children.
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