The Trump administration is seeking contractors to build and operate a new "emergency influx facility" designed to hold up to 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children. During a Tuesday call with prospective service providers, officials from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) described the project as a response to potential surges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The facility would be part of a broader federal effort to increase the detention and removal of undocumented individuals.
Unaccompanied immigrant children are currently housed in more than 150 shelters across the United States under the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Federal law, specifically the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, requires the government to provide these minors with legal counsel and protection from exploitation. The new proposal follows the termination of a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which previously provided legal representation for approximately 20,000 children.
According to ACF official Gilbert Canales, the proposed facility would feature rooms housing up to eight children, with one toilet, shower, and sink shared per room. The site requirements include an eight-foot perimeter fence and proximity to medical services, including a hospital within 30 miles and an airport within 60 miles. While the government typically requires one acre of recreation space per 100 children, officials noted that these areas could be a mix of indoor and outdoor space. Contracts for the project are expected to be awarded by the end of this year.
A child held in this facility would notice a living environment where they share a bedroom and bathroom with seven other minors. They would have access to physicians, teachers, and diagnostic medical services, though their recreation time might take place indoors rather than outside. The administration states this model provides "speed" in responding to border surges. However, the shift in how these children are managed occurs as the legal landscape changes; the recent loss of a major legal services contract means thousands of children currently lack the representation required by federal law.
The development sets a precedent for using large-scale, high-density "influx facilities" as a primary tool for managing migrant children during periods of high border activity. This move comes as immigration judges are issuing more than 10,000 removal or voluntary deportation orders for minors each month, according to ProPublica. The next steps involve the finalization of contract bids by late 2026. This follows the recent award of a separate no-bid contract worth at least $158 million to the group Our Rescue to provide services for vulnerable children.