Trump administration proposes 3,000-bed emergency intake center for unaccompanied migrant children

In a recent virtual briefing, the Trump administration discussed building an "Emergency Intake Facility" designed to hold up to 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children amid anticipated surges at the southern border. The proposed site would be enclosed by an 8-foot fence and staffed by physicians, teachers and other humanitarian workers, with rooms housing eight children who share a single toilet, shower and sink. No location has been finalized, but officials indicated contracts could be signed before the end of the year, even as a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson claimed there are no immediate plans for such a center.

At the same time, a longstanding federal contract that supported nearly 100 legal service providers for more than 20,000 children has lapsed, and the primary contractor, Acacia Center for Justice, declined a bridge contract over confidentiality concerns. This loss of legal aid comes as immigration judges are accelerating removal cases, giving children only weeks to secure counsel, and overall deportation rates for minors have risen sharply.