McAllen, TX – Yesterday Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade visited the Rio Grande Valley’s first central processing center for unaccompanied alien children (UAC) that have entered into the U.S. illegally. The purpose of his visit was to see the current state of the unaccompanied minor crisis at the border.

Congressman Burgess was briefed by leadership at the Rio Grande Valley’s Centralized Processing Center on the process by which unaccompanied alien children are processed from apprehension to intake and then to ultimate transition out of the facility.

Additionally, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) informed Dr. Burgess of the health screening policies, including protocols and procedures followed for children at risk of or diagnosed with an infectious disease. Dr. Burgess was also updated on the protocols and procedures to identify victims of trafficking, and physical or sexual abuse, as well as the capacity of the facilities to accommodate over 20,000 children crossing the border. 

“Tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors continue to cross the Texas border illegally from Mexico every year. While the number does fluctuate the crisis remains unabated for the last 2 years,” said Burgess. “It is clear that there is a significant amount of work to be done here. Thank you to the staff from the RGV Centralized Processing Center, ORR and HHS for taking the time to show me around the facilities.

“Yesterday’s visit has only reaffirmed my commitment to protecting and strengthening our borders. While on my tour, I witnessed six individuals, including a 3 month old infant, be apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol guardsmen while trying to enter the U.S. illegally.

“I continue to call on the President to visit the border and see for himself the challenges of the ever changing region. You simply cannot grasp the magnitude of the problem in the lower Rio Grande valley sector unless you can see it for yourself. This must be a priority for the man tasked with shaping the United States’ immigration policy.”

The Rio Grande Valley’s Centralized Processing Center was opened in July 2014 as a central place to house unaccompanied alien children (UAC) and eliminate overcrowding at the Border Patrol McAllen Station.

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