LAWRENCEVILLE, Va. (AP) — Contrite federal officials apologized to residents of a tiny southern Virginia town Thursday night for keeping them in the dark as they prepared to bring in hundreds of Central American children and teenagers to a temporary shelter.

“Absolutely, we feel we didn’t do it right here,” said Mark A. Weber, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We’re here to listen to the community. We’re here to sort this out.” He was speaking prior to the meeting.