Journalists Allowed Inside Migrant Detention Facility, Report Overcrowding

On Tuesday, the Biden administration allowed journalists inside its main border detention facility for migrant children for the first time in Donna, Texas, after previously restricting the information that Border Patrol officials were allowed to share with the media. Journalists reported eight "pods," or tent structures, where each were designed to hold 32 migrant children; one tent currently held 615 children. Overall, the space intended for 250 people held 4,000 people. ABC reported that of those, 3,400 were unaccompanied minors. While the Biden administration continues to expel adult migrants who approach the border under a Trump-era COVID-19 safety precaution, Biden declined to continue the practice of expelling unaccompanied children. Migrants are held in tents before being taken to facilities run by the Department of Health and Human Services, and then placed with a family member, relative or sponsor. CBS reported that facility operations are supposed to cost $6 million each month for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); however, because of overcrowding, CBP is spending $16 million per month. The story received coverage across the political spectrum. Outlets on all sides of the spectrum also provided analysis of the complications at the border; some right- and center-rated outlets highlighted Republican criticism of Biden's immigration policy, comparing his policy to that of former President Donald Trump's.