State rejects Corsicana's bid to house unaccompanied minors in the U.S. illegally

AUSTIN — A state board killed a plan Friday to repurpose a defunct treatment center in Corsicana as a temporary home for young migrants in the U.S. illegally, as the nation's immigration debate stirred what can be mundane business for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

The department’s governor-appointed board overwhelming voted against transferring the 400-acre site to the city of Corsicana, which had proposed contracting with a company to operate a center to house unaccompanied minors who’ve crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

City officials pitched the plan as a much-needed economic driver — to the tune of 1,100 new jobs — but the proposal turned into a proxy battle over border politics.

Sen. Brian Birdwell, the Republican who represents Corsicana, pushed back hard on the proposal over concerns that it would create a “federally funded revolving-door facility for illegal immigrants.” Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, likewise registered his opposition.

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