Federal immigration authorities are holding more than 2,000 women and children in two sprawling family detention centers in South Texas.
The government began detaining them there last year in response to the surge of Central Americans who were fleeing deprivation and gang violence in their native countries and surging across the Southwest border.
Supporters say the detention centers help deter illegal immigration and ensure the detainees show up for their Immigration Court hearings. Critics say it is psychologically harmful to lock up families, especially those who are victims of violent crime and are seeking asylum in the U.S.
Georgia is directly linked to the predicament. After they are granted relief, some of the families are relocating to Georgia to be near friends or relatives. Meanwhile, several Georgia-based immigration attorneys have traveled to South Texas in recent months to represent the families for free as they seek asylum. Further, the private company that operates one of the family detention centers in South Texas has moved some of its employees there from other facilities it operates in Georgia.
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