Little hope in White House for emergency funds to stem influx of migrants at border

[alp227]

Source: Washington Post

President Obama told Central American leaders Friday that his administration would return children who are here illegally to their home countries, but a substantive U.S. response to the border crisis seemed to grow more remote amid deepening political divisions in Washington.

House Republicans dramatically slashed the amount of emergency money they are willing to devote to dealing with the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, lessening chances for an ambitious pact before lawmakers leave Washington for their summer break.

The setback undercut the administration’s bid to mount an aggressive push to stem the flow of illegal immigration and raised doubts about Washington’s ability to restore order in the Rio Grande Valley, where U.S. border patrol stations have been overwhelmed by the influx. More than 57,000 children and an additional 55,000 parents with children have been apprehended this year.

Senior administration officials acknowledged that there was little hope inside the West Wing that Congress would strike a quick deal over Obama’s request for $3.7 billion in emergency funding to deal with the crisis. Obama’s meeting with the presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador at the White House was intended to send a stern message to those countries to stop the immigrant flow, but the president also used a brief appearance before reporters to urge action from his GOP critics. “It is my hope that Speaker (John) Boehner and House Republicans will not leave town for the month of August for their vacations without doing something to help solve this problem,” Obama said in the Cabinet Room. “There have been a lot of press conferences about this. We need action.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/little-hope-in-white-house-for-emergency-funds-to-stem-influx-of-migrants-at-border/2014/07/25/1a25eb94-1414-11e4-8936-26932bcfd6ed_story.html

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Coverage of Obama's meeting with the Central American presidents in Central American media;

La Prensa, Honduras:

Obama ofrece revisar casos de menores, pero no en EUA (Obama offers to review children's cases, but not in US)

Guatemala: Opción de dar refugio a niños es “muy estrecha” (Guatemala: Option to give refugee to children is "very close&quot

Prensa Libre, Guatemala:

Obama pide ayuda a presidentes centroamericanos (Obama gets help from Central American leaders)

La Presna Grafica, El Salvador:

EUA Promete “hacer más” por crisis de niños migrantes (US promises to "do more" for the crisis of migrant children)

White House: Joint Statement by the Presidents of the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, in part:

We met today to discuss our ongoing collaboration regarding the increased numbers of unaccompanied minors and adults with children migrating to the United States. We expressed our shared belief in the need for a humanitarian response to the situation, with a focus on the safety and well-being of children and families. We reiterated our commitment to prevent families and children from undertaking this dangerous journey and to work together to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration. We pledged to continue to pursue the criminal networks that are exploiting this uniquely vulnerable population and we agreed on the need to discourage the use of smuggling networks that place individuals at high risk of violent crime and sexual abuse along the journey. We reviewed and agreed to redouble our joint efforts to counter misinformation about U.S. immigration policy. We committed to work together on the ongoing efforts to humanely repatriate migrants, consistent with due process.

This excerpt in Spanish, via Prensa Libre:

Nos reunimos hoy para discutir nuestra colaboración continua con respecto al incremento de números de menores no acompañados y adultos con niños que migran a los Estados Unidos. Expresamos nuestra creencia compartida sobre la necesidad de una respuesta humanitaria a la situación, con un enfoque en la seguridad y bienestar de los niños y las familias. Reiteramos nuestro compromiso para prevenir que las familias y niños realicen este viaje peligroso y para trabajar juntos para promover una migración segura, legal y ordenada. Nos comprometimos a continuar persiguiendo a las redes criminales que explotan a esta población que es especialmente vulnerable y acordamos sobre la necesidad de desalentar el uso de redes de contrabando que colocan a los individuos en un alto riesgo de crímenes violentos y abusos sexuales a lo largo del viaje. Revisamos y acordamos redoblar nuestros esfuerzos conjuntos para contrarrestar la información errónea sobre la política de inmigración de los EE. UU. Nos comprometimos a trabajar juntos en los esfuerzos continuos para repatriar humanitariamente a los migrantes, de acuerdo con el proceso debido.

BBC: Obama: Migrant youths without claims will be sent home

NY Times: Obama Presses Central American Leaders to Slow a Wave of Child Migrants

AP: Migrants: Obama urges Latin leaders, GOP to help

[JDPriestly]

1. Obama is Commander in Chief. At least temporarily he should use

military resources to help these kids. They could live on military bases until they can be processed through the legal system and housed somewhere else.

Obama will probably handle this quite well.

[ColesCountyDem]

3. He's already proposing to use Maxwell AFB in AL, and will likely do more of the same. n/t

[joshdawg]

2. Well, nothing to worry about here:

“It is my hope that Speaker (John) Boehner and House Republicans will not leave town for the month of August for their vacations without doing something to help solve this problem,”

It's a lead pipe cinch that nothing will be done by this republican "led" House. The money will not even be an issue to be brought up for discussion, much less granted. Nothing will keep them from their month long vacation. Boner has to get a tan, don't you know.

[Cresent City Kid]

4. Are we really at a place where we can't vote to feed hungry children?

From what I understand, the funding would be spread out to address everyone's concerns, border protection, source of the problem, and the humanitarian crisis. Thank God there is no imminent asteroid impact, the funding to build a rocket to divert it would be "throwing money at the problem."

[jwirr]

5. At least with the feeding President Obama should turn to the churches that have elected the idiots

in congress. In refugee camps throughout the world it is the UN, the churches and other non-profit charitable groups that do most of the care for the people. If congress is too selfish to help let them answer to the world.

[DiverDave]

6. If they spend money to help

they cant convince goober that he's in danger.
From CHILDREN...It's hard to understand.