Local facility housing dozens of child migrants separated from their parents at border

EMSWORTH, Pa. — A Pittsburgh nonprofit known for helping children in need is now in the middle of a national debate over immigration.

Holy Family Institute in Emsworth is housing 50 migrant children who have been separated from their parents after illegally crossing the Mexican-American border.

The Catholic nonprofit first started helping children impacted by disasters eight years ago, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

The institute is under contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to house the children.

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"We've worked with Holy Family in the past and we know that they have a good facility there. But regardless of how good it is, these children still are not with their parents," community organizer Monica Ruiz said.

Ruiz is a community organizer with Casa San Jose, which works to help immigrants and migrants throughout Pittsburgh.

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She said this is an issue that Pittsburgh can't ignore.

"A lot of times they hear things that are happening and they think it's just right around the border. But it's literally in our backyards and people need to wake up and realize that it's happening," Ruiz said.

Channel 11 reached out to the Holy Family Institute on Monday afternoon, but didn't get a response.

In a statement discussing similar facilities in Texas and California, Deputy Eric Hargan said in part:

"The need for these facilities has grown over the last decade, in large part because of the flaws in our immigration system that draw many immigrants to try to cross our borders illegally. As a result, temporary shelters have been necessary to ensure that HHS is able to meet its responsibility."

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey is a co-sponsor of a bill that would keep families together.

He's scheduled to speak about it in a conference call with the media Tuesday morning.

Cox Media Group