As federal officials worked to find sites that could relieve crowded conditions at immigration detention centers run by the U.S. Border Patrol, Southern California officials have offered up the Long Beach Convention Center and the Pomona Fairplex to keep detained migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.
But officials appear to have nixed any idea of using the Los Angeles Convention Center, a large venue that has often been eyed because pandemic-era restrictions cancelled its usual booked events.
Early in the pandemic, the site was set up as a medical relief center to take in overflow patients from hospitals during any potential surges in COVID-19 cases, but ultimately was not used for that purpose. It was also briefly floated as a site for a homeless shelter.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the Convention Center is not suitable to host migrants because it lacks “green space” and showers, among other things.
“You really want to make sure these very vulnerable children are in the best place,” he said.
Citing the living conditions as a concern, local elected officials have worked to assure that the migrant children being kept in federal custody would be housed under humane conditions, and in appropriate environments.
The Los Angeles Convention Center is in the midst of a commercial area surrounded by tall hotels, office buildings and other event venues such as the Staples Center.
The effort to set up temporary pop-up sites to house the migrant children comes during a spike in the number of migrants being taken into custody. In March, there were 18,890 teens and children crossing the border without their parents, among the 172,331 people taken into custody, setting a record, according to statistics released Thursday and reported by the Washington Post.
Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Hilda Solis, who announced this week that the Pomona Fairplex would soon house migrant children, said that this area has recreation park space. There will be wrap-around services for the around 1,500 to 2,000 young people who are expected to be staying there, she said.
Solis said they are hoping to deliver health assistance, meals and other types of services “in a more compassionate method that I think is going to be much more different than what we’ve seen in the past.”
The detention of migrant children in local facilities has proved controversial, especially at permanent sites. A plan to build a detention center in Arleta was met with an outcry. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year that would phase out private prisons and immigration detention centers.
The Biden Administration says efforts are underway to vet sponsors for migrants faster, at these temporary, pop-up sites, so that they can be released to parents and immediate relatives sooner.
Over the last year, with the pandemic shutting down activites to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the LA Convention Center has had to cancel or postpone more than 140 events, which has led to an economic loss of around $600 million, according to a city report from February.
While traditional convention events have stopped, the site has remained busy during the pandemic. Its kitchens were used to prepare for meals for seniors, and its other space was used to film television shows and movies, The Grammy Award ceremony, Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, according to Ellen Schwartz, general manager of the convention center.
With restrictions expected to be lifted in mid-June, the site could resume its more traditional uses, with events still booked as early as late June and yet to be canceled.
If restrictions are lifted in time, shows such as the LA Art Show in late July still have a chance to go forward, followed by the LA Auto Show in November and LA Comic-Con in December, according to Schwartz.
"fit" - Google News
April 10, 2021 at 05:23AM
https://ift.tt/3mywv8t
LA Convention Center not a good fit for housing migrant children, says Garcetti - LA Daily News
"fit" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SpPnsd
https://ift.tt/3aP4lys
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "LA Convention Center not a good fit for housing migrant children, says Garcetti - LA Daily News"
Post a Comment