Marygrove College Offers Help To Child Immigrants, If Obama Acts First
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A local college is willing to use school resources to help child immigrants from Central America.
Marygrove College president David Fike on Thursday will outline plans to offer scholarships to older children and provide food and shelter for other youths at the Catholic school if the federal government agrees to treat as refugees the thousands of children traveling alone from Central America and crossing the border into the U.S.
"As a Catholic institution—guided by the Gospel values of peace, love, reconciliation, and justice— we are proud to be the first higher educational institution in the nation to publicly commit to supporting young refugees from Central America," Fike said in a statement.
Fike also called on President Barack Obama to take a leadership role in solving the problem. He said other college leaders should help as well.
Fike said that Marygrove's offer of support is contingent on the Obama Administration publicly recognizing the surge in unaccompanied minors at the border as "fundamentally a refugee situation," while also rescinding the proposed request to Congress for "fast track" authority to expedite the removal of children fleeing violence in Central America.
"The lives of thousands of children and young people are at risk," Fike said. "We cannot be silent. I urge my colleagues at the helms of colleges around this nation to join me in calling on President Obama to show moral leadership on this issue and, if possible, to join Marygrove in pledging housing, food, security and education if the President would act with a moral compass."
The comments come amid protests over plans by Grosse Pointe Park-based Wolverine Human Services to enter into a contract allowing its facility in Vassar -- in the thumb region -- to house children who fled violence in Central America.
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