State Sen. Kel Seliger has publicly urged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to file an injunction that would stop the placement of unaccompanied minors at a holding facility that is located in Midland County.
The topic of unaccompanied minors and undocumented individuals in general has been one of hot debate in political channels in recent months.
Though the debate is centered around politics, the argument of Seliger appears to hold water when it comes to the legal aspect. Gov. Greg Abbott has even chimed in on the issue, saying that government officials learned that the migrants would be en route to Midland. The following day, buses with teenagers arrived in Midland County.
“The decision for this placement was made on Friday, March 12, local officials, however, were never consulted and were not informed until Sunday, March 14. That evening, the first buses of juveniles started to arrive. I believe the haste and apparent secrecy of this action was designed to avoid soliciting input from local law enforcement, local elected officials, health care services and educational entities," Seliger said.
From his statement, it's clear that Seliger believes that the placement is part of a larger effort that is politically-motivated. His fellow party members, including Abbott, seem to share that opinion.
“The strict standards outlined by the Office of Refugee Resettlement appear to not be in place at this location. ORR’s own protocol requires it to be a state licensed facility, which this man camp is unequivocally not. The plans for relocation of these children seem to provide opportunities of human trafficking as much as for family reunification. In addition, we have been told that turnaround for these minors will be about 72 hours," Seliger said. "This seems highly unlikely, if not impossible, since the explanation on the relocation of these individuals has not been systematically prearranged, not to mention the positive number of COVID-19 cases, which will require quarantine. I have been in touch with our federal representatives as well as state and local law enforcement officials to see that our questions are answered appropriately and that our community is prepared to adequately care for these children.”
The Midland facility in question is not licensed to be a juvenile housing facility, which ensures safety and the protection of unaccompanied minors. Abbott and other Texas Republicans have frequently blamed the Biden administration for the current border crisis.