Baughman said in addition to shelter, the convention center would allow time for the lengthy legal process of seeking asylum to begin and for federal workers to begin to try to locate a next of kin for the teenagers in the United States.
“They are fleeing a harshness that every other refugee in the past, has gone through those same scenarios,” said Domingo Garcia, National President of The League of United Latin American Citizens.
Garcia said it was likely many of the teenagers have experienced varying degrees of both physical and emotional trauma during their journey. Federal and local officials continue to work to prepare the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center for thousands of migrant teens as sharply higher numbers of border crossings have severely strained the current capacity to hold youths.