Obama Asks Congress For $3.7 Billion For Immigration Crisis

[Purveyor]

Source: REUTERS

By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON Tue Jul 8, 2014 3:11pm EDT

(Reuters) - The U.S. administration took steps on Tuesday to halt a cross-border surge of children from Central America, asking Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency spending and putting in place plans to make the youngsters' deportation hearings a priority.

It was President Barack Obama's most substantive response to date as he struggles to gain control of a humanitarian crisis along the Texas border with Mexico and to fend off Republican Party critics demanding a tougher response.

One of those critics, Texas Governor Rick Perry, was due to meet Obama in Dallas on Wednesday. On Sunday Perry accused the administration of moving too slowly. He has called for National Guard troops to be sent to the border.

The U.S. government projects there could be around 150,000 children next year under the age of 18 from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala fleeing rampant poverty and domestic- and gang-related violence. More than 52,000 unaccompanied minors from the three countries have been caught trying to sneak over the border since October, double the number from the same period the year before.

The $3.7 billion request is higher than initial estimates of $2 billion. White House officials said they never embraced the lower figure, and knew it would be higher than that.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/08/us-usa-immigration-obama-idUSKBN0FC28220140708

[Cha]

1. Thanks Obama

[gussmith]

2. So, They Can Find The Money

$3.7 billion should be sufficient to start a fair sized city comprised of existing homeless Americans along with the 150,000 children who need support and assistance. Our country can do plenty to improve standards for all indigents.