PORTLAND, Ore.— Inside a nondescript building in downtown Portland sits a shelter for migrant children. It has the look and feel of a college dormitory.
There’s a recreation room with a pair of big screen TVs and lounge chairs, a game room with a foosball table and an industrial cafeteria for shared meals.
The shelter is run by the non-profit Morrison Child and Family Services under the Unaccompanied Alien Children’s Program. The federal program is designed to take care of children apprehended by federal law enforcement agencies until they can resolve legal issues, be united with family, or forced to leave the country.
The boys and girls staying in the shelter are teenagers between 13-17 years old. Most are from Latin America. Reporters weren’t allowed to see the kids because of privacy concerns.
The shelter occupies five floors of the building and can house 50 migrant children. Morrison staff said the shelter is just a few kids shy of reaching full capacity. The kids will stay anywhere from a few days to a few months. It is a temporary arrangement until they can be placed in a home, often with relatives or foster care.
“We are not interested in keeping kids from families -- it is the opposite. We want families to take on the kids and for it to be a good match,” explained Drew Henrie-McWilliams, CEO of Morrison Child & Family Services.
Morrison also runs a group home in the building. The group home shares many of the same common living spaces, although sleeping quarters are separate. The group home is for 20 kids who are seeking permanent legal status. They attend public school and have greater freedom to come and go, explained Morrison.
The first floor of the shelter includes a full-sized gymnasium, classrooms and a cafeteria. There are also meeting rooms where the migrant children can meet with case workers from Morrison and their lawyers.
The second floor has a huge recreation room with multiple TV’s and lounge chairs. There’s a game room, weight room and quiet space for relaxing.
The third floor is used by Morrison staff for offices. Federal records indicate Morrison is currently due to receive $14.6 million in federal funds through 2020 for various government grants to provide services for unaccompanied children. Morrison also runs a Staff Secure Program at a different location for at-risk migrant youth, which can house 16 boys.
The fourth floor are girls’ bedrooms and the fifth for the boys’. Inside the dorm-style rooms, there is a bunk bed and a small sink.
Inside one room, a stuffed teddy bear sat on the pillow. A cozy looking blue and white stripped blanket covered the bed. There were no posters on the wall or family photos.
Most of the migrant children living in this Portland shelter came across the border unaccompanied.