15 Feb 2019
Will Trump Build a Migrant Baby Jail on a Toxic Landfill?
"Earthjustice released a report that highlights how a migrant detention center for unaccompanied children is slated to be placed on top of a former landfill and could have damaging effects on children’s health. The Trump administration has proposed that Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, host approximately 7,500 unaccompanied children; the area is said to be contaminated with lead, arsenic, benzene, PFAS, and other chemicals associated with increased risk of cancer and neurodevelopmental damage.
Findings come some three months after the Hispanic Federation, National Hispanic Medical Association, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Southwest Environmental Center, GreenLatinos and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, represented by Earthjustice, sued the Trump administration to get additional documentation related to the proposed migrant detention center. The Freedom of Information Act lawsuit demands that the Air Force release records concerning environmental hazards at Goodfellow that have the potential to expose children at the base to toxic chemicals via air, water, and soil.
Earthjustice and its clients have for months sought documents that can shed light on the government’s publicly announced plans to build migrant detention centers in Goodfellow and Fort Bliss, both in Texas. The government refuses to comply with FOIA requests, and a lawsuit was filed against the government for its failure to release documents concerning Fort Bliss. Meanwhile, communities are protesting detention sites and caravans of migrant families fleeing violence in Central America and Mexico continue reaching the U.S.–Mexico border for asylum."