(April 23, 2021) -- A City of Long Beach press event (April 22) didn't allow reporters' access to LB Convention Center areas that will house migrant minors, but gave elected officials and City-selected supportive groups a tour of those areas, offering reporters pooled photos and text from two reporters and a photographer from the Southern CA News Group (chain that includes PressTelegram and Gazettes.)
Following their tour, Mayor Robert Garcia conducted a news conference that offered his description of the facilities, joined by Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D, LB-west OC) plus three City-chosen supportive individuals. The press conference speakers said their priority is caring for the children. They described the facilities as welcoming and loving. One of the CIty-chosen touring individuals praised a butterfly image she said made the facilities more welcoming to the children, Mayor Garcia stressed that the temporary housing's goal is to ensure speedy reunificaion of `migrant children with their parents or with other sponsors to enable the childrens' release from the facility.
Which LB elected officials allowed to tour the facilities can you identify in the photos below?
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150 migrant minors were slated to arrive later in the day (not present yet) and a City release said media access won't be permitted when they do arrive. "To protect the identity and well being of the children staying at the shelter, all of whom are minors under the age of 18, public access, including media access, is not permitted...Once the children arrive, for their security and privacy, general public tours will not be allowed."
The City release indicated children at the shelter will be under the care/custody of the federal Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS.) On arrival, a youth care worker will be assigned to supervise their care and other staff "will provide health and medical care, case management services to ensure reunification with a relative or verified sponsor, mental health counseling, and educational services." "Most children are expected to stay at the HHS shelter between 7 to 10 days while HHS facilitates the reunification process," the release said.
[City release text] The facilities are located throughout the Convention Center exhibition halls, meeting rooms and ballrooms, with most accommodations located inside and one safe and secure recreational area outside. The living accommodations are divided into sections and are designed to be as comfortable and comforting for the children as possible. Children will receive a variety of essential services and access to amenities including:
Asked by an LA Times reporter during the press conference for [paraphrase] the cost of the operation, an HHS official said she didn't have the figure at hand but promised she would obtain it and provide it. Mayor Garcia reiterated that all costs would be covered by federal agencies. It's not immediately clear why reporters were restricted to pooled coverage of the Convention Center facilities., Critics of the Trump administration charged it was putting children in "cages" but when the Biden administration initially faced a surge of migrant minors, independent reporters revealed continuing similar practices. Stung by the whistle-blowing reports, the Biden administration scrambled to make changes (pool reporters saw no Convention Center "cages.") However politically progressive groups (locally including Long Beach Forward locally) have publicly criticized curent policies that result in the de facto custody/incarceration of migrant minors. While supporting the tempoprary use of the Convention Center (slated to expire on Aug. 2 to allow return of Convention Center business), Mayor Garcia straddled the issue by saying the current immigrant system is broken and requires changes. Below is pooled text filed by Nathaniel Percy and Hayley Munguia of the Southern California News Group: ...The first group of migrant children will likely arrive at the Long Beach Convention Center on Thursday, April 22, making it the second of three shelters for immigrant minors to come online in Southern California amid an ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border.
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