U.S. Border Patrol agents in Yuma hosted tours of a new temporary facility along the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona on June 28.
The temporary facility in Yuma is being established in response to the strain on resources and facilities due to unprecedented numbers of family units illegally crossing the border.
Construction of the facility began Saturday, June 15, as part of the ongoing response to the current border security and humanitarian crisis along the Southwest Border.
Temporary facilities like this one were previously opened in Donna and El Paso, Texas to help with the overflow of migrants. They successfully addressed the challenges of providing care for family units in custody.
The temporary, soft-sided facility will accommodate up to 500 individuals in U.S. Border Patrol custody while they await transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Refugee Resettlement. The temporary structures are weatherproof and climate-controlled for eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene.
The contract, just under $15 million, provides showers, toilets and sinks, laundry trailers, sleeping mats, kitchen equipment, personal property storage boxes, office space, interior and perimeter closed circuit television, lockers, security, power, HVAC services, food, snacks, water, and custodial services.
