Bexar County enters agreement to house unaccompanied minors at Freeman Coliseum

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Bexar County  has entered an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to temporarily house unaccompanied minors at the Expo Hall at Freeman Coliseum.

Judge Nelson Wolff  announced Friday that the children will start arriving next week.

“We don’t have to do this.  We’ve chosen to do this as a humanitarian issue.  I don’t care who’s at fault,” said Wolff.

Freeman Coliseum will have nearly 2,400 cots for the migrant children and Wolff says they won’t be sleeping on the floor as we’ve seen in photos released by Congressman Henry  Cuellar.  The unaccompanied minors will get 3 hot meals a day and two snacks.

HHS will be responsible for the operation at the coliseum, but local charities and nonprofit organizations will be helping out.   Wolff says Homeland Security  and a  private firm will  be in charge of security and Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies will not be needed.

Wolff also said children will be tested for COVID-19 at the border before they come here.  Children who test positive after they arrive in San Antonio will be kept in a separate facility .  He says they will not be a burden on the hospital system because children aren’t likely to require hospitalization for treatment of the virus.

“You can blame Trump.  You can blame Biden. You can blame whoever you want to blame, but these are children and a good, solid, strong community reaches out to help people like that,” said Wolff.

The federal government is paying the County for a 60-day lease of the Expo Hall at Freeman Coliseum on East Houston Street next to the AT &T  Center.

 

 

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