Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amid Ever-Increasing Concerns About Health And Safety Of Detained Children, A Top Border Official Is Reassigned
The New York Times: Top Border Official Is Reassigned Amid Criticism Of Conditions For Migrant Children
The highest ranking immigration official in the troubled El Paso region of the southwest border, where hundreds of children were reportedly held for weeks without enough food or the ability to bathe, has been temporarily removed from his job amid growing criticism over health and safety conditions for migrants there. Aaron Hull, a veteran border official who became the sector chief in El Paso in 2017, will be moved to Detroit on Monday, where he will oversee operations along the much slower and less contentious Canadian border, according to a statement from the agency. (Dickerson and Kanno-Youngs, 7/25)
In other news on the crisis —
Politico: Dems Abruptly Pull Border Bill, Avoiding Intraparty Fight
House Democratic leaders on Thursday punted a vote on a sweeping bill that would have overhauled Trump's migrant detention policies, backing away from a major battle within their caucus over immigration on the eve of their six-week summer recess. Top Democrats had furiously worked to win support for a border bill this week from Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), a freshman representing a border district who has become one of the top advocates to fix conditions for migrants. (Ferris, 7/25)
The Hill: New Migrant Children's Shelter To Remain Open But Empty, Officials Say
The Trump administration's expensive new facility for holding unaccompanied migrant children in Carrizo Springs, Texas, will remain open, but empty of any children, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Thursday. HHS spokeswoman Evelyn Stauffer said that as of Thursday, the last group of children will be discharged to an "appropriate sponsor or transferred from the Carrizo Springs temporary facility to other state licensed programs in HHS’ network of care providers." (Weixel, 7/25)
Kaiser Health News: Migrant Moms Await Due Dates And Court Dates
A growing number of expectant mothers are among the migrants pouring in daily from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador — even Haiti — to more than 30 already overflowing shelters in Tijuana, Mexico. “More women are arriving pregnant or with babies,” said pastor Gustavo Banda of the Embajadores de Jesús (Ambassadors of Jesus) church, which operates a shelter in Cañón del Alacrán (Scorpion’s Canyon) on the outskirts of Tijuana. “We have a lot of Haitian women and some Central American.” Some women also get pregnant while they wait. (de Marco, 7/26)
