Shelter for Detained Immigrant Children Proposed for D.C. Neighborhood

Martin Austermuhle reports:

A proposed 200-bed shelter in D.C. to house detained immigrant children is likely to face a number of legal and regulatory obstacles from city officials and residents, including a possible public zoning hearing and legislative attempts to prohibit such a large facility from getting a license to operate to begin with.

Dynamic Service Solutions, a Maryland-based contractor, has received a $20.5 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to operate the shelter in D.C. for undocumented and unaccompanied immigrant kids aged 12 to 17.

The shelter would located on Laurel Street NW in the Takoma neighborhood, adds Austermuhle, less than a block from the border with Maryland. The building will require approval from the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). The article includes details on the expected approval process and the controversy that will likely surround the proposal.