AUSTIN, Texas — Volunteers from Jolt Texas purchased about $3,000 worth of supplies for migrant families being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday morning – but the donations weren’t accepted when they arrived at the South Texas Family Residential Center.
Several volunteers met at the Mueller H-E-B Saturday morning to load up the supplies, like diapers and toothbrushes, and take them to Dilley.
“There are families there that are being held. They are being criminalized. They are being traumatized by their experience. They are being treated worse than prisoners. They are not getting basic human needs that they need, like toothbrushes, diapers. Those children are not – they're being neglected, and we know that they need supplies,” said Camille Vargas, a Jolt volunteer.
RELATED:
When they arrived at the center, they were told that the supplies weren’t needed and police later told them that the supplies couldn’t be accepted.
Earlier this week, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff told KVUE, legally, they can't take donations. But they’re working with lawyers to see if that could be changed.
They also said they’re not low on these types of supplies.
"We're using operational funding to provide those things, but those things are available now and they have been continuously," the staff member said.
Jolt volunteers knew this was a possibility before leaving on Saturday and said they will still donate the supplies to other organizations or facilities that will take them.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: