L.A. City Council president's proposal could block possible migrant children's detention facility

The president of the Los Angeles City Council on Friday announced a proposal that would block building permits for private detention facilities, the Los Angeles Times reports, including a proposed migrant children’s site that has received considerable public blowback from community members and other elected leaders alike.

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez’s proposal could end for-profit group VisionQuest’s wish to open a children’s detention facility in Arleta, despite the fact that the organization’s staffers have a documented history of abusing children in their care. It’s not just that VisionQuest shouldn’t be opening this facility in Arleta; it shouldn’t be opening facilities anywhere, advocates say.

“I will not stand idly by and allow for-profit companies to get rich off of the anguish and suffering of immigrant children in Arleta, or anywhere else in Los Angeles,” Martinez said according to the LA Times, noting VisionQuest’s “controversial background.” The for-profit company, she continued, “should not be anywhere near immigrant children, many of whom are no doubt traumatized by the federal government’s inhumane treatment of them.”

It’s also the sentiment of the Arleta community, which earlier this month held a protest outside the proposed site. Educator Nancy Burawski told NBC Los Angeles at the time that the facility would be “especially offensive because it’s in an immigrant community. There’s going to be immigrant kids walking to school and passing this building. I mean, it's just horrible.”

In his letter to acting Homeland Security Sec. Chad Wolf and Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar, California Rep. Tony Cárdenas condemned “the harmful and traumatizing effects caused by the cruel and unsafe conditions at detention facilities,” citing a Health and Human Services inspector general study that “revealed that detention centers are unable to meet the mental health needs of children experiencing significant trauma.”

 “As Congressmember for this district, I will continue to speak out against such a holding facility opening in my backyard that would put more children in cruel and unsafe conditions,” the legislator, who was also present at the protest this month, continued. The LA Times reported that the L.A. City Council could vote on a temporary ban as soon as this week while working to draft a permanent ordinance.

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