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The Biden administration is housing tens of thousands of migrant children seeking asylum in about 200 facilities, according to confidential data obtained by The Associated Press. The number of children in government custody has more than doubled in the last two months, now totaling close to 21,000. The facilities where the children are being held include at least a dozen unlicensed emergency facilities inside military bases, stadiums and convention centers that sidestep regulations and oversight. Attorneys, advocates and mental health experts say while some of the shelters are safe and provide necessary care, others are putting children’s health and safety in danger. The Associated Press
In other federal immigration news…
Undocumented College Students Can Get COVID-19 Aid
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced that undocumented college students will be allowed to access federal COVID-19 relief aid. The step reverses former President Donald Trump’s policy barring them from assistance. The Department of Education will now allow undocumented students, as well as those protected from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to request aid, as long as they have been enrolled at a U.S. college or university since March 13, 2020. Refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants who aren’t a part of DACA may also apply for COVID-19 aid. CBS News
Immigrant Advocates Mixed on Biden’s 1st 100 Days
Biden took 94 executive actions on immigration during his first 100 days in office, according to the Migration Policy Institute. That’s already triple the number of executive orders on immigration former President Donald Trump took. But even though Biden’s actions include reversing some of Trump’s orders, immigrant advocates have mixed feelings. Some feel Biden still hasn’t fulfilled his promises, like when it took him months to raise the historically low refugee cap. “They’re making progress,” said Frank Sharry, founder and executive director of America’s Voice. But in the next 100 days, he hopes Biden will “get on the front foot” and go beyond just reversing Trump’s wrongs. U.S. News & World Report
