SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff called Governor Greg Abbott’s allegations of abuse and understaffing at the Freeman Coliseum migrant facility “completely false” on Monday.
Wolff’s comments, made during the COVID-19 briefing, come after Abbott held a press conference on April 7 and said he was made aware of complaints of sexual abuse, children not being fed and understaffing at the facility.
Currently, the coliseum’s Expo Hall is being used to house around 1,800 migrant boys under 18.
Wolff said Abbott’s comments about the facility were “untrue.”
“Completly false. Now, other things could happen,” Wolff said. “I don’t know that they have—I haven’t heard anything, they could happen in the future...what do we (have) now? 1,802 boys still out there, something could go wrong, but the previous allegations he made are untrue.”
Abbott said that the Texas Rangers would investigate the claims at Freeman Colesium and called on the Biden administration to shut down the facility.
Since Abbott’s press conference, several volunteers from the facility have disputed the allegations. The facility itself has been toured by lawmakers and child advocacy groups—none of which have supported the governor’s claims.
The Department of Public Safety has not released information about its investigation into the claims.