HHS secretary coming to El Paso to visit Fort Bliss migrant facility
EL PASO, Texas -- On the heels of a trip Friday by Vice President Kamala Harris to El Paso to tour the border and discuss immigration issues, came word that the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services planned to visit the Borderland next week.
The Biden administration announced HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was set to travel to El Paso on Monday to see a migrant detention facility at the Fort Bliss military post, which has drawn criticism from advocates who have described unsafe conditions and allegations of abuse toward some of the thousands of children housed there.
During her trip, Harris didn't tour the tent complex at Bliss where the migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone are being held for an extended period of time.
Tyler Moran, special assistant to President Biden for immigration for the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, told reporters covering Harris' visit that improvements have been made at the Bliss facility, including the addition of 50 mental health professionals on site and increases to case management services.
"The administration is concerned by these reports and we do know that HHS has taken steps to address them. We are taking this very seriously. This is serious for the President and the vice president. And we know it's important to HHS to get to the bottom of this and ensure that the highest standards are being upheld," Sanders added.
