Norcross Tours Center That Holds Detained Kids In South Jersey

CAMDEN, NJ — After two weeks, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1) finally had the chance to tour a Camden facility that currently houses immigrant children who are being separated from their parents at the border on Monday. Given the delay, and that no one was there to meet him, Norcross came to a conclusion.

“They’re hiding something,” he said. “They're hiding a bad inhumane policy about how to treat children in this great country of ours. They were hoping people would eventually just forget about it.”

What he saw was not a warehouse with prison bars, but “a facility you would be proud to have your children in.” He didn't know what to expect, and just the thought that it could've been worse needs to be changed.

He called the Trump Administration's policy of separating children from their families “an embarrassment and a policy that needs to be changed.”

It first became public knowledge two weeks ago that such a facility existed in South Jersey. It was one of several in New Jersey that was utilized after about 20 immigrant children separated from their parents at the border were sent to New Jersey.

Norcross immediately began trying to get a tour of it, he said during a press conference on Monday. There was a two-week process he had to undergo, and was told he would only be permitted to tour the site if representatives from the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were present.

When Norcross showed up on Monday, though, no one from HHS was present, he said. A spokesperson from HHS wasn’t immediately available for comment Tuesday morning.

“It was wrong and insulting for them not to show up,” Norcross said. “I’ve literally been to nuclear weapons manufacturing plants that were easier to access than this.”

Norcross was still able to tour the facility, and met with one immigrant teen who was living at the facility. Norcross described him as a “nice young man,” and the two spoke about a variety of subjects, including soccer. He has been able to speak with his father via Skype.

There are facilities all over the country used for the same purpose. The one in Camden is run by the Center for Family Services. The center has existed for about 100 years, and its focus is on helping disadvantaged children.

About 40 years ago, it entered into a partnership with the federal government to meet this goal, according to Center for Family Services President and CEO Richard Stagliano. The sheltering of unaccompanied minors began about a year ago.

At the center, children are able to eat and get an education, and are given clothes, medical attention, access to professional counselors and case managers, and a warm place to sleep.

Two other teens that were held in the same facility have already been reunited with their parents. All three teens are from Central America and South America. It wasn't clear when the third teen would be reunited with his family, but Center for Family Services Chief Operating Officer Eileen Henderson said the goal is to reunite all of them with their families.

This can prove to be difficult as in many cases, the federal government has lost track of minors who were separated from their families at the border.

Norcross said it is the policy and not the program that needs to go. By providing the minors with these services, the center is fulfilling its mission of keeping children safe, Norcross said.

“It’s not easy to find facilities to do that,” Norcross said.

Norcross spoke about the Restoring Oversight for Members of Congress Act, legislation he helped introduce to allow greater access to members of the legislature seeking access to facilities run by government agencies. He also spoke about the need to turn back the Trump Administration’s policy on separations, which he called inhumane and repulsive.

“I’m trying to figure out how they came up with this policy and how they don’t know where these children are. This is what happens when you implement a full policy by the seat of your pants,” Norcross said. “ … They’re children, this isn’t their fault. We need an immigration policy that is fair for everybody.”

Watch the video from Monday’s press conference below.

Attached image, left to right: Center for Family Services COO Eileen Henderson; Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1); Center for Family Services President and CEO Richard Stagliano