Democratic governor who played pool with Obama REFUSES White House request to host illegal immigrant children

  • HHS secretary met with dozens of governors on Sunday to pitch them on relocating thousands of illegal immigrant kids to their states
  • Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper said his state's taxpayers don't want 'another burden'
  • He helped President Obama just last week with a series of photo ops while he was fundraising in Denver, including a beer-and-billiards meeting
  • GOP governors from Wisconsin, New Jersey and Iowa are angry at the administration for failing to check the immigration status of adults who claim the children after their illegal border crossings

By Associated Press

Published: 11:12 EST, 14 July 2014 | Updated: 13:04 EST, 14 July 2014

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell met privately with dozens of governors Sunday as the Obama administration tried to get support from the leaders of states that will host thousands of the Central American children who have crossed the Mexican border on their own since Oct. 1.

Governors of both parties expressed concerns about the cost to states, including providing public education for the children, according to those who attended the meeting. Burwell left the meeting through a side door without talking to reporters.

'Our citizens already feel burdened by all kinds of challenges. They don't want to see another burden come into their state,' said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat. 'However we deal with the humanitarian aspects of this, we've got to do it in the most cost-effective way possible.'

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad were among the most vocal Republican critics. They seized on the administration's plans to place the children with friends or family members without checking on their immigration status.

Scroll down for video

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (L), joked with President Joe Biden at the National Governors Association convention on Friday, but was starkly critical two days later of the Obama administration's request to house illegal immigrant children in hist state

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (L), joked with President Joe Biden at the National Governors Association convention on Friday, but was starkly critical two days later of the Obama administration's request to house illegal immigrant children in hist state

Drink but don't dump: Obama and Hickenlooper shared a beer-and-billiards afternoon on July 8, but the Democratic governor was cold to the idea of opening up the Rocky Mountain state to an influx of kids streaming across the southwest U.S. border

Drink but don't dump: Obama and Hickenlooper shared a beer-and-billiards afternoon on July 8, but the Democratic governor was cold to the idea of opening up the Rocky Mountain state to an influx of kids streaming across the southwest U.S. border

Under current law, immigrant children from countries that don't border the United States and who cross into this country by themselves are turned over to HHS within 72 hours. From there, they often are reunited with parents or placed with other relatives already living in the country, while they wait for an immigration court to decide their future. The court process can take years.

Neither Burwell's agency nor immigration officials check the immigration status of relatives who take custody of the immigrant children.

Since Oct. 1 more than 57,000 children have crossed the border alone. Most are from Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala.

'We want to make sure they're placed in a safe and supportive home or placement, but also, it should be somebody that is legal and somebody that will be responsible to see that they show up for the hearing,' Branstad said.

 

More...

According to data from the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review, about a quarter of immigrants facing deportations hearings don't show up as ordered. The no-show rate for the juvenile immigration court docket is about 46 percent.

Amid the debate of what is causing the ongoing crush of child immigrants and how the government can stem the flow, two key lawmakers said President Barack Obama can take administrative action to relieve much of the crisis without waiting for what is likely to be a contentious and lengthy Congressional battle.

At issue is a provision in a 2008 human trafficking law that puts the fate of these immigrants in the hands of immigration judges. The Obama administration has expressed some interest in asking Congress to change the law to give the administration more leeway in dealing with the crisis. 

Four hundred child immigrants now enter the U.S. illegally every day as authorities liken growing humanitarian crises in makeshift centers to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Four hundred child immigrants now enter the U.S. illegally every day as authorities liken growing humanitarian crises in makeshift centers to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

But Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that wholesale changes by Congress may not be necessary and that Obama has the authority to return the children to their native countries.

Obama 'has tools in his toolbox' to deal with humanitarian issues and deter more children from coming to the U.S., Rogers said.

'We can safely get them home,' Rogers said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' He said, 'And that's where the president needs to start. So he needs to re-engage, get folks who are doing administrative work on the border. They need to make sure they send a very clear signal.'

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the author of the provision in the human trafficking law, said a change in regulations, not the law, could speed the children's return.

The law already allows HHS and the Homeland Security Department to write regulations to deal with 'exceptional circumstances' that would allow officials to return the children more quickly to their home countries, Feinstein said Thursday at a hearing on a $3.7 billion emergency budget request from the White House to deal with the growing crisis on the border.

Some of the money would go to help fund about 40 additional immigration judge teams. Federal immigration courts have a backlog of more than 375,000 cases.

Comments (189)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

Many people would help an animal more then a person, so sad..and in the USA to boot

1
0
 Click to rate

Mexico doesn't want them either. Their economy is much better than those nations, and the hordes are just as harmful to them as the US. If the US ever does build a wall across the southern border, Mexico might need to build their own wall on their south side as well.

1
33
 Click to rate

Isn't this as it always is with Progressives? "As long as I don't have to see it from my house!" or "As long as I don't have to get my hands dirty solving the problem!"?

2
32
 Click to rate

omg they are all so stupid....so you will photo op with the president, but when it comes to these illegals coming to YOUR state, it's a no. You'd rather the other states deal with your mess. Ridiculous two-face.

7
23
 Click to rate

This guy is really out of his mind.

4
9
 Click to rate

I hope Chris Christie hangs tough, and doesn't allow them to be dumped into New Jersey either. We have some of the highest property taxes in the country. I can see all of our taxes going up to support them, if they're allowed in. Not trying to be mean, but we're taxed to the max here.

2
36
 Click to rate

The first smart decision Hickenlooper has ever made in office be it mayor or governor. Still not enough to get me to vote for him though. The guy is a coward and makes campaign promises only to back out on them.

1
43
 Click to rate

Or doubles vehicle registrations in the name of funding road repairs, only to turn around and sell the highways to international corporations without letting the public read the contract.

0
2
 Click to rate

why doesn't the democrat governor do the bidding of the man he worships?

1
38
 Click to rate

Could this get any funnier(or sadder)whichever way you look at it....begging Governors of States to take in the illegal children. The biggest laugh is Obozo sharing a moment with the Colorado Governor and yet the Gov said NO to allowing these children to take over his state. I guess that game of pool and beer moment wasn't as productive as Obozo thought it would be. I can only hope the idiot in our state(Florida)says NO also.

1
56
 Click to rate

SO I paid for obozo to go have beer and chili and play pool - and the gov still told him to shove it. Can I get a refund?

0
0
 Click to rate

Let Mexico keep them. They share a common language and culture.

2
94
 Click to rate

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now