TWO MONTHS ON: The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, N.M. has been renovated to house up to 700 women and children who entered the U.S. illegally.
By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
It’s been nearly two months since the federal government decided to send up to 700 women and children who entered the U.S. illegally to a facility in Artesia, a town of just more than 10,000 in southeast New Mexico.
The progress report, says the town’s mayor, is a bit mixed.
“I guess things are going as well as they could be,” Mayor Phil Burch told New Mexico Watchdog in a telephone interview Thursday morning.
That’s hardly a ringing endorsement but, on the other hand, it’s not as if Burch and city leaders had a lot of say in the matter.
In late June, thousands of immigrants entered the U.S., many willingly turning themselves into Border Patrol agents. Nearly all migrated from countries in Central America; it’s been estimated that more than 50,000 unaccompanied minors have come across the border since October.
Scrambling for potential solutions, the federal government, led by the U.S. Homeland Security Department in conjunction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, looked at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center as a way to house and process the flow of humanity.
In Artesia for nearly 30 years, FLETC trains future agents for the Border Patrol and other federal agencies. On June 17, federal officials told Burch about the plan to house women and children up to the age of 17 in converted dormitories on the center’s property. The immigrants arrived later that month.
MAKING DO: Phil Burch, the mayor of Artesia, says the federal employees at FLETC are doing a good job but there is still a sense of anxiety about the facility. Photo by Rob Nikolewski.
New Mexico Watchdog wanted to get reaction from federal officials about the progress at FLETC, but multiple emails and voice mail messages went unreturned.
“The stated purpose of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center is to train law enforcement personnel,” Burch said. “Anything other than that, in my mind, takes the focus off of what they’re there for. Personally, I was opposed to it … but I realize they’ve been fulfilling the mission they’ve been given.”
There have been some bumps, though.
Some of the issues include:
Health
Burch said the residents’ quarters are still under a 21-day quarantine after two cases of chicken pox were discovered. Burch said no new residents have been added until the quarantine is lifted. That’s expected to come Aug. 21. “It’s been pretty quiet because of that,” said Burch, who said the facility’s population is down to 542.
Education
Federal law mandates children at public facilities receive an education. Burch, who attends weekly meetings at FLETC, said Thursday officials are choosing among three bidders. “I would doubt it would be a public school,” Burch said. On Tuesday, the superintendent of the Artesia Public Schools told New Mexico Watchdog the school district is not one of the bidders, and he understands that any instruction will be conducted on the FLETC site. Burch said instruction should begin in about two weeks
Deportations
Shortly after it opened, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson toured the facility and announced that about 40 immigrants would be flown back to their countries of origin. Burch said those deportations have continued, as people are processed in and out of the facility. Burch said a FLETC report July 29 said 209 people had been repatriated. Eighty-five more were sent back last week — 19 to Honduras, 26 to Guatemala and 40 to El Salvador. Burch said all 85 were cleared of carrying chicken pox.
Costs
Burch said local officials have been assured the federal government will pick up all costs, but he added, “There are costs. They’re difficult to quantify.” For example, Burch said FLETC agrees to pick up medical costs incurred by the residents through Medicare. But Medicare payment rates frequently don’t match the cost of services. “That void is there and we haven’t been told how it’s going to be dealt with,” Burch said.
How long the immigration facility will stay
When it opened, federal officials said they expected the facility to remain open for six to 12 months but Burch — and other local lawmakers — have their doubts. “My own opinion is they will keep this facility in operation until somebody controls the border,” Burch said. “Until the flow of mothers and children is stopped, they’ll have to send them some place. My suspicion is that until the federal government does something to control the border, nothing is going to stem the flow.”
Artesia has not been the site of protests seen in other parts of the country because, Burch said, some of the town’s major concerns have been addressed and he gives officials at the facility high marks for professionalism. But there’s still a level of anxiety.
“The community, while it’s more comfortable about security issues and medical issues than it was six or eight weeks ago, they’re still on edge,” Burch said. “But by and large, they’re tolerating it pretty well.”
A second town hall meeting is scheduled Thursday, hosted by elected officials in Artesia and Eddy County.
Sunday, a prayer rally will be held by an immigrants rights group and eight religious organizations in front of FLETC, protesting the deportations.
Contact Rob Nikolewski at rnikolewski@watchdog.org and follow him on Twitter @robnikolewski
