Ex-Trump aide joins board of firm that detains migrant kids
MIAMI — Former White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly has joined the board of the conglomerate that operates the largest facility for migrant children in the country.
Caliburn International’s CEO James Van Dusen confirmed the appointment of the former Trump Cabinet member Friday in a news release.
Some members of Congress have described “prison-like” conditions in the facility in Homestead, Florida.
“With four decades of military and humanitarian leadership, in-depth understanding of international affairs and knowledge of current economic drivers around the world, General Kelly is a strong strategic addition to our team,” said Van Dusen.
An executive order on ethics issued by President Donald Trump in 2017 doesn’t appear to prevent Kelly and other White House officials from joining boards, but it does ban lobbying activities.
The facility is undergoing a massive expansion, saying the spike in migrants’ arrivals has increased the demand for space. It has added hundreds of beds in the past few weeks. About 2,500 children are detained there now, ages 13-17, after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian.
Kelly first revealed the U.S. government was considering separating migrant families when he was Homeland Security secretary, saying it would be a deterrent for others considering migrating north. Kelly stepped down as chief of staff in January.
The Florida facility housed as many as 140 children who were separated from their parents last year.
Before joining the White House, Kelly was affiliated with DC Capital Partners, the Washington private equity firm that formed the umbrella corporation behind the detention camp operator.
Kelly was seen last month touring the migrant teen detention camp in Homestead, Florida, where he was also spotted by activists protesting over the detention of children.
The new conglomerate formed last year by DC Capital Partners consolidated four companies. One of them is the facility contractor, called Comprehensive Health Services.
The government recently gave Caliburn new contracts to run other facilities in Texas and awarded it $340 million to expand its Florida operation in a nobid phase.