1,280 migrant children leave Long Beach shelter, reunite with family, sponsors
First group of migrant children arrive in Long Beach
As many as 150 migrant children arrived at the Long Beach Convention Center on April 22, beginning its operation as a shelter that will house unaccompanied minors from the U.S. Mexico border until they can be reunited with family or placed with sponsors.
LONG BEACH, Calif. - More than 1,000 migrant children who were housed at an intake center at the Long Beach Convention Center have been reunited with family or sponsors in the United States, it was reported Friday.
"1,280 migrant children have from the emergency shelter in Long Beach have now been reunited with family or sponsor in the United States," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia wrote on Twitter.
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The Long Beach site opened for intake on April 22. The migrant children were being temporarily sheltered as part of the federal government's national humanitarian effort to support unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the southern borders.
"These reunifications represent dedicated humanitarian work from our federal partners at Health and Human Services, UCLA Health, the staff at the Long Beach Convention Center, and the committed lawyers and staff at Immigrant Defenders that work to represent the children," Garcia said.
Since it opened, community members donated well over 100,000 toys, books and other items to support the kids.
"The love and outpouring of care and kindness our community has shown has been amazing," Garcia added.
The shelter is scheduled to close on Aug. 2.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the site, said children receive a medical checkup, clothing, toiletries and food upon arrival. The facility houses girls under 17 and boys under 12.
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