Report: Government Holding Migrant Children in ‘Secret Shelters’

The federal government is reportedly holding unaccompanied immigrant minors in “secret shelters” that it has not disclosed publicly or in court, Reveal reports. There are reportedly “at least five” shelters in Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia holding at least 16 children for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)—some as young as 9 years old. The minors were reportedly housed in known shelters before they were transferred to the undisclosed ones, which reportedly “specialize in providing for youth with mental-health and behavioral challenges.” Millcreek Behavioral Health in Fordyce, Arkansas, is reportedly holding at least eight children in ORR custody. A Florida facility of “nonprofit behavioral health organization” Devereux is housing at least five children. Rolling Hills Hospital in Ada, Oklahoma, is reportedly holding at least one minor, a troubling revelation considering the facility’s reported allegations of physical abuse. It is reportedly unclear how the ORR regulates or inspects the “secret” facilities. The ORR did not immediately respond to Reveal’s request for comment.