(Seguin) – A Seguin businessman says he can’t overlook the needs of over 2,000 migrant children being temporarily sheltered at the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. In fact, on most days, you can spot Tim Bird, owner of Mayday Pest Solutions, in the middle of the daily efforts to keep kids safe while the federal government works to reunite them with members of their family.
Bird, who is volunteering through Catholic Charities, says he initially signed up to help set up cots throughout the Coliseum. But as those beds began to fill up with real faces and real kids, he says he knew he had to do more and has since spent several nights – some of which have been from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. working to protect those children who have crossed the U.S.- Mexico border without an adult family member.
“At this point, we’ve got about 2,000 boys that are down there. They are young men aged 13 to 17. They have family or relatives that are here stateside, and their goal is be reunited with them and so I think that’s how they have gotten to this in the first place. A lot of these kids have definitely been through an incredible amount of horrific incidents in the past. A lot of these boys have traveled from Honduras and Guatemala, a majority of the time by foot. They’ve kind of been through a couple of devastating hurricanes and poverty-stricken areas anyway and from what I’ve gathered from a lot of different stories from the kids, the cartels down there have used that as an opportunity to kind of go in and kidnap a lot of these boys and put them into the drug cartels and camps and things like that,” said Bird.
For most of his life, Bird has worked with youth – be it a youth minister, a coach, or Scout Master. He says it’s been tough to see those beds quickly fill up with kids – kids who have already experienced more than most of us could ever imagine.
“The stories, you can’t prepare yourself for the stories. You start talking to a young man and ask him how is doing, what is his name and where he’s from. I remember one of the younger boys who was 13, he was pleading for me to track down his aunt. His aunt doesn’t even know where he’s at. His family doesn’t know where he is at, so he was just pleading for me to reach out to his aunt and let them know that he is safe and that he escaped the cartels and that was unexpected. I can’t even imagine a family thinking that their kid is trapped up in the cartel stuff and then he’s five thousand miles away and he made it to the U.S. and he’s safe and healthy. So that was a pretty tough one for sure,” said Bird.
Tim Bird, of Seguin, is helping with the migrant children being housed in San Antonio.
On top of feeling helpless, Bird says his heart is tugged night after night with even more stories of heartache.
“A couple of the other kids escaped the cartel camps once and he got punished by getting burns all over his body. Then escaped again and he made it up here. He’s got a bunch of burns on his body and escaped a second time and made his way out. A couple of them fled. The parents wouldn’t give up the kids and so they killed the parents in front of the kids and the kids escaped — you know unbelievable stories. I wish you could get down there with interview crews and interview every one of those boys. It’s incredible some of the stuff that they’ve gone through. Two boys made it from Ecuador. It’s kind of crazy to think…just a couple of young teenage boys,” said Bird.
The surge of children filtering through US borders has no doubt fueled questions and debate throughout all party lines. Questions on the overall safety of the children being housed was also recently in the spotlight following a visit to San Antonio by Texas Governor Greg Abbott who last week “called for more oversight and an immediate investigation” into reports of sexual abuse inside the holding facility. He also noted allegations of insufficient staffing and children not eating. While some question the Governor’s timing for the allegations and his ability to remain silent of widespread abuse in migrant shelters during President Donald Trumps administration, others like Bird say the focus in addressing these kids should not just be political but humanitarian.
“It is tough because no matter what side of the political argument you are on, in my opinion, both sides have skewed it to their narrative and it’s unfortunate because either narrative doesn’t address the kids. The kids are definitely a pawn on both sides of this argument. I was down there the night before and the night after our governor made his little stop down there and those allegations, they were completely false. It was kind of crazy on that side of things. The political football back and forth, it’s just disheartening, and you’ve really got to be down there to see it with your own eyes,” said Bird.
Even though Bird may have his own position on the issue, he says in the end, it’s about these kids and just doing what he knows is right.
“Regardless of where you stand, what are you going to do with a 12-year-old boy that is sitting in front of you without family who is 5,000 miles away? I don’t think the solution is not just well he doesn’t belong here just send him home. You can get to that at some point, but you have to tend to the needs of the boy and help immediately in that situation regardless of how he got here right now. I don’t necessarily agree of how he got here but we still have to tend to the needs of these kids and not let them suffer,” said Bird.
Bird says having firsthand knowledge of exactly what is going on in the facility also helps him to put everything into perspective as far as the problems that exist and the solutions that lie ahead.
“Either the parents have sent them to the border or sent them away to flee from that life and from those issues. That’s kind of how they got to the border if you will. On the border, it’s a different scenario because the camps down there are completely inundated and overrun. It’s about five to six boys per cot (bed) down there. Up here, it’s one boy per cot so at least, it’s a lot better than that. They are very well taken care of. They get three meals a day plus snacks. They’ve got plenty of food and water. They’ve got access to medical so as far as the boys go, they are in a very very good situation or better situation. But obviously, that is not a long-term thing and they know that and they are looking to get placed with their family here, “said Bird.
With the temporary shelter still expected to operate for at least a couple of more weeks if not longer, Bird is providing guidance to those who would like to help. He says every effort goes a long way.
“Through Catholic Charities, that’s where you can sign up to do background checks and do the training to qualify to get down there to be a volunteer. If people want to get involved and help, that would be a good option. I’ve got a toy drop off on my front porch any day. That’s kind of been a little area drop off but I’m gathering those games or soccer balls or toys or Crayons or whatever and taking them down every night with me,” said Bird.
The Freeman Coliseum is one of 24 other facilities throughout the southwest assisting in the border crisis. Bird adds the Coliseum, with its 2,400-person capacity, is one of the smallest facilities making it “only a drop in the bucket for the massive problem along the border.”
Toys, again, can be dropped off at the porch of Bird’s home located at 502 E. College St.
Those wishing to volunteer with migrant youth support or assist in other ways are asked to visit the Catholic Charities website at ccaosa.org.