Surge In Child Migrants Brings National Attention
By Dr. Marciene Mattleman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - New York City officials have formed a task force in response to a surging population of 3,200 unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America and 7,000 more are expected over the coming months.
Under the leadership of Nisha Agarwal, the city's commissioner for immigrant affairs, an interagency group is looking for sites in the state, welcomed in New York, but with opposition elsewhere in the country.
The federal government has been combing the country looking for emergency sites, Albany, Rochester and Syracuse among others are being considered in New York and Reading, Pennsylvania is already working with placement of the children.
Federal officials will not reveal the locations of more than its 100 shelters nationwide.
Nationally 43,000 children have been released to relatives and sponsors. Help is needed to deal with trauma, health, deportation issues and school enrollment while reuniting kids with relatives and finding foster parents.
Read more about this complicated issue in The New York Times.