The Tornillo Port of Entry will soon serve as a temporary shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in a letter sent to a local lawmaker on Tuesday.
HHS officials say the shelter will be “activated for use immediately”, but did not specify the exact date it will begin housing the children.
According to the letter, the department is expanding its temporary shelter spaces to allow them to find sponsors to care for the children while their immigration case proceeds.
According to a news release published by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Tornillo Port of Entry previously housed unaccompanied immigrant children in 2016.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will host a community leaders’ briefing before the children arrive at the shelter, according to officials.
This story will be updated.
