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Former West Texas Jail Being Considered For Migrant Children

A closed detention center in West Texas is being considered as a holding facility for hundreds of unaccompanied children entering South Texas from Central America.

The former Bill Clayton Detention Center in Littlefield, approximately 40 miles northwest of Lubbock, was built about 15 years ago by the town but has become a financial drain since its closure in 2009. City officials hope they can generate a revenue stream by reopening the 382-bed center to temporarily house migrant children.

City Manager Mike Arismendez says that he's been in discussions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

More than 50,000 children have arrived along the Southwest border since fall and federal authorities believe the number will rise to 90,000 by the end of this fiscal year.

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Information from: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, http://www.lubbockonline.com

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