2,300 migrant boys still being housed in emergency shelter in Dallas
Catholic Charities of Dallas seeking volunteers to help undocumented minors
Catholic Charities of Dallas is seeking more volunteers and sponsors for a growing number of migrant boys housed at an emergency shelter in Downtown Dallas. CEO Dave Woodyard has been in the shelter at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and talks about the conditions.
DALLAS - There are still more than 2,000 migrant teenagers in Dallas and an immigration attorney said the biggest challenge is processing them.
"It’s just the logistics of having so many children having to reach out and do all of the checks that need to be done in order to get these children back into the hands of family members or someone here in the United States who can be trusted," said attorney Belinda Arroyo.
The teens are being sheltered at a temporary facility inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. All of them arrived at the southern border without their parents.
RELATED: Undocumented immigrant teens now being housed at Dallas convention center
Catholic Charities of Dallas is one of the organizations helping to care for the teens. CEO Dave Woodyard has been at the facility and talked to Good Day FOX 4 about the conditions.
"The shelter is essentially full at this point with approximately 2,300 boys. It’s really quite an amazing large dormitory if you will but we are starting to see that everybody there has got the best intent of the boys in mind in every decision they make. It’s clean. It’s as hospitable as possible. There’s a lot of our volunteers and others that speak Spanish to the boys to give them comfort and answer any questions they may have," he said.
Gov. Abbott expresses concern as more undocumented teens are brought to Dallas
Hundreds more undocumented teenagers arrived in Dallas last night from the border. During a Monday visit to North Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott insisted conditions at facilities like the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center are a safety concern.
Woodyard described the mood inside Dallas’ emergency shelter as hopeful.
"I think that they feel safe. They feel like the worst part of their journey is behind them and I think they are hopeful for the future," he said.
RELATED: Bilingual volunteers needed to help as more unaccompanied teens arrive at Dallas convention center
Catholic Charities is seeking more bilingual volunteers who can make phone calls to try to connect the migrant boys with family members or sponsors in the U.S.
"We do have a lot of people that have responded so far. And so please be patient. You may or may not be called back quickly in regards to that. But things are going to continue to evolve and if this lasts for weeks or even months then I think there will be additional needs down the road so don’t lose heart," Woodyard said.
All volunteers must go through a screening process before being cleared to work in the environment.
LINK: www.ccdallas.org