McAllen immigration facility being remodeled to add ‘modern detention areas’

McAllen immigration facility being remodeled to add ‘modern detention areas’
FILE - In this June 17, 2018 file photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, people who've been taken into custody related to cases of illegal entry into the United States, sit in one of the cages at a facility in McAllen, Texas. A complaint expected to be filed Thursday, Aug. 23 with the Department of Homeland Security alleges that immigration authorities coerced dozens of parents separated from their children at the border to sign documents they didn't understand. In some of those cases, parents gave away rights to be reunited with their kids. The complaint will be filed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Council.(U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Rio Grande Valley Sector via AP, File) (Source: AP)
By Associated Press | November 27, 2020 at 5:06 PM CST - Updated November 27 at 5:06 PM

HOUSTON (AP) - The U.S. Border Patrol is temporarily closing a converted warehouse used to detain immigrants in South Texas for renovation.

The McAllen facility garnered international attention when images emerged of children separated from their parents detained in chain-link cages inside. The agency said in a statement Wednesday that the facility, known as the central processing center, will reopen in 2022 with a smaller capacity and “modern detention areas.”

It will also have a recreation area for children. The Border Patrol says it is using funds from Congress to renovate the facility. The renovation was first reported by The Washington Post.

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