A U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing center in McAllen used to detain migrants in their temporary custody was officially reopened after a year-long renovation project.
The 77,000 square-foot processing center known as Ursula, due to its location on Ursula Avenue in McAllen, was updated after it was closed for renovations in October 2020.
About $30 million appropriated from the Fiscal Year 2019 Emergency Supplemental were used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make the improvements that include “the removal of chain link fencing, installation of a permanent HVAC system to provide cleaner air and a climate-controlled environment and improved personal hygiene stations and shower facilities,” Monday’s news release stated. “The facility was also retrofitted with appropriate physical security infrastructure, medical screening areas, laundry services, phone lines, computer stations for virtual processing, as well as consultation rooms for consulates.”
The facility will be able to hold up to 1,200 people at a time.
While the facility was renovated, the agency struggled with overcrowding during a year when apprehensions broke previous records.
The space created to hold migrants in the interim included a temporary outdoor processing center under the Anzalduas International Bridge and a soft-sided facility in Donna; but both proved to be problematic during the pandemic when numbers rose above capacity.
The facility in Donna will remain in operation for the foreseeable future, the agency affirmed. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz in late February indicated they may need the extra capacity in the near future when policies for asylum seekers change.
“CBP will continue to closely coordinate with ICE and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement in caring, processing, screening, and transitioning migrants out of Border Patrol custody,” Monday’s news release added.
