TUNICA, Miss. – There is new information over undocumented immigrant minors in the Mid-South.
FOX13 told you Wednesday that two vacant Tunica County hotels are being used to house thousands of undocumented child immigrants.
We learned more about the conditions inside the hotels and what is being done to make sure there are resources to keep the children safe.
RELATED: Former Mississippi hotel could be used to house immigrant minors
“They say it’s for minor children and it may be but what happens,” said John Williams, a resident.
That’s one of the many questions people are wondering after finding out 2,000 undocumented child immigrants will be housed at two hotels attached to the Harrah’s casino.
The current owners of the casino, TJM properties, is based in Florida.
After being vacant for nearly a decade, what are the conditions of the buildings?
“It was renovated just before the property closed. The owners own all of Harrah’s property. The hotel was in good shape because it’s being maintained by the owners,” said James Dunn, the Tunica County Board of Supervisors President.
Dunn said if the deal goes through, the undocumented minors, the buyer of the hotel buildings will receive up to $150 per child from the federal government.
FOX13 told you before Tunica County Sheriff Calvin K.C Hamp voiced his concerns about the lack of resources and how they will meet the needs of this many children all under the age of 17.
“Everything would be housed on site. All the accommodations, schooling and the security, meals and everything because as you know it was a convention center,” said Dunn.
FOX13 researched other facilities across the country.
We found a former school, the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina. This center was created in March with security fences surrounding the facility and guards posted at the entrances.
It can also houses up to 800 children.
The U.S Department of Health and Human Services paid the American Hebrew Academy $50 million to lease the facility over the next five years.
But According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), no children are in care at the facility.
And this is not the only center without children.
We found two other ICF facilities in Texas but again, there are no children staying there.
The idea of housing thousands of children doesn’t sit well with everyone.
“I wish I had a magic wand and could help Tunica County find a better use case for the property. I’m sure they would be ecstatic over this,” Williams said. “Something that complements the casino rather than something like this.”
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