PORT HUENEME, Calif. — Officials expect a temporary shelter on a California military base could fill up next week as Central American children who entered the country illegally are being sent there amid a surge in border crossings.
During a tour of the facility Thursday at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, a government official said the number of children housed there could more than triple by early next week.
The shelter can hold up to 575 children. Most are from Central America.
Bunk beds and extra dining tables have been set up to meet demand. Dirt soccer fields have been created for outdoor play.
The shelter is one of three planned for military bases in California, Oklahoma and Texas following a spike in the number of children caught crossing the border.
