ABC-7 tours immigrant children facility at Holloman Airforce Base

Holloman Air Force Base invited the media to tour its facilities temporarily housing immigrant children on Monday.

Holloman’s prepared to house 250 unaccompanied children. Those currently housed on base are from Guatamala, Honduras and El Salvador. Many have been living on the facility since last month.

Only one person per media outlet was allowed on the tour. ABC-7’s New Mexico News Operations Manager Tom Scott checked out the 17 acre facility and explained what he saw.

“The facility is completely fenced in with tarp all along the fence line,” Scott said. “There is no barbed wire along the fence, however. Officials emphasized that this is not a detention facility but rather a shelter.”

No cameras,videos or pictures,were allowed on the 75 minute tour, Holloman provided ABC-7 with video of the facility. They chose not to show the children’s faces.

The facility has brick building that houses administration where kids can get medical care and dormitories where they reside. Other services for food,bathing and recreational activities are in spacious tents.

The dining facility can house 450 people and kids get three catered meals a day,not including two snacks. There’s also a recreational room where children can play games,do artwork and read. In addition, there are outdoor basketball courts, a soccer field and laundry rooms.

All of the children are between the ages 13 and 17. Boys and girls are kept separate. Officials tell Scott they don’t have any issues with keeping the kids in order.

“When I asked about discipline issues such as gang problems, I’m told that the children were screened at previous facilities before coming here,” Scott said. “No children are brought to Holloman with any criminal affiliations.”

The average stay for children at Holloman is about 32 days before they are transported to stay with relatives while waiting for their immigration hearing.

Currently Holloman is the only temporary facility in the country. Two more are expected to go up near Denver and Miami this spring.