John Kelly joins board of company that operates facilities for migrant children: report

Former White House chief of staff John Kelly is now a member of the board of directors for a holding company whose subsidiary operates some of the largest shelters for unaccompanied migrant children in the country, CBS News reported Friday.

Kelly has joined the board of Caliburn International, the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, which operates the Homestead shelter in Florida and three other shelters for unaccompanied migrant children in Texas.

Homestead is the largest shelter for migrant children in the country.{mosads}

“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,” James Van Dusen, Caliburn’s CEO, said in a statement reported by CBS.

“Our board remains acutely focused on advising on the safety and welfare of unaccompanied minors who have been entrusted to our care and custody by the Department of Health and Human Services to address a very urgent need in caring for and helping to find appropriate sponsors for these unaccompanied minors.”

The Caliburn board counts some former high-ranking military personnel among its members, including retired Adm. James Stavridis, Gen. Anthony Zinni and Rear Adm. Kathleen Martin. CBS also noted that the company’s portfolio includes a variety of work in defense sectors.

Caliburn did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

According to CBS, Kelly served on the board of advisers of the investment firm DC Capital Partners, which now owns Caliburn, prior to joining the Trump administration in 2017.

While serving as White House chief of staff, Kelly defended the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy that led to the separation of thousands of migrant children from their families while the adults were prosecuted for illegally crossing the border. President Trump ended the controversial policy last year.

Kelly, who formerly served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, resigned from his White House post in December.

Under current law, migrant children who illegally cross into the U.S. must be sent to a government shelter where they stay until they can be united with relatives or other sponsors while awaiting immigration court hearings.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) operates a network of just over 100 facilities for unaccompanied migrant children across the country, and each one is supposed to be licensed by the state where it is located.

Homestead is the only shelter run by a for-profit company, and the only one that isn’t overseen by state regulators.