Repurposed North Carolina Boarding School to Accommodate 800 Unaccompanied Migrant Children

The Biden administration is set to convert a former North Carolina boarding school into a housing facility for up to 800 unaccompanied migrant children who have been processed along the southern border, according to a U.S. official familiar with the plan.

The American Hebrew Academy, the former North Carolina boarding school, will provide shelter for migrant boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17. (Photo: teleSUR English)

North Carolina Boarding School’s Opening

According to CBS News, the North Carolina boarding school, located in Greensboro and scheduled to open in August, will be operated by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The American Hebrew Academy, the former North Carolina boarding school, will provide shelter for migrant boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 17 who entered border custody of the U.S. without their legal guardians or parents.

The campus will become the largest active housing facility for unaccompanied minors operated by the government. It has a capacity of 800 beds which could accommodate the migrants.

It will function as an “influx care facility,” which is a term used by the HHS to describe emergency housing sites established during periods of increased arrivals of child migrants along the southern border.

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Why North Carolina Boarding School?

The decision to repurpose the North Carolina boarding school comes after concerns were raised about another influx care facility in Texas, a tent camp at Fort Bliss U.S. Army post, where reports of substandard conditions and child depression emerged in 2021.

The HHS plans to halt housing unaccompanied children at Fort Bliss and transition it to an inactive status.

Another influx care facility, a former work camp in Pecos, Texas, has not accommodated children since earlier this year.

Advocates for migrant children have long criticized the use of influx care facilities due to their lack of regulation by state child welfare agencies, unlike traditional HHS shelters.

Previous facilities, such as the one in Homestead, Florida, have faced national scrutiny and received reports of inadequate services and distressed children.

In contrast, the facility in Greensboro offers a more promising environment. Originally designed to accommodate students, it features numerous buildings, sports fields, an athletic center, and a scenic location near a lake.

The site will provide educational instruction, recreational activities, mental health support, and medical services for migrant children.

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