Fed. Govt. Quietly Continues Border-Kid Family Detention Plan

“The surge in child migration from Central America is receding but the United States is aggressively pushing ahead with plans to expand detentions,” reports the Reuters news service, calling the program and facilities expansion “… a little-publicized part of a broader campaign to deter illegal migrants.” The report explains that “… under pressure from opposition Republicans to stem the unprecedented flow of children earlier this year, the Obama administration beginning in June pledged to speedily return them to their home countries and help better secure borders in Mexico and Central America. “

But a third leg of that strategy has quietly created a network of family detention centers to lock up some children and their parents rather than freeing them pending deportation hearings, says Reuters, adding that the centers, which were opened this summer to receive families with children, are in Artesia, New Mexico and Karnes, Texas.

“With little public debate, they have effectively become flagships of the Obama administration’s “get tough” campaign to discourage future border crossings,” says Reuters. Read the whole story here: Obama hangs tough on migrant detention despite slowing influx