Congressman Demands Answers About Temporary Housing Of Undocumented Children In NE Philly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Congressman Brendan Boyle from Pennsylvania's 13th District addressed the possibility that children from Central America detained at the Mexican border could be housed in Lawndale until their cases are heard.
Boyle, speaking with Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, confirmed that the 'Navy Depot' could potentially be used.
"Ever since getting wind of this, we've been clamoring for weeks to finally get the information from HHS. We had the opportunity to get that on Wednesday, had the follow up discussion yesterday with the White House. Here are the facts as they are. The Navy site in Lawndale, which as kids growing up, we always called the Navy Depot, that is considered as a possible site. It is one of 10-15 that they are looking at as overflow capacity. That essentially, because of the massive problems, primarily in three Central American countries, 95 percent of the kids we're talking about all come from three countries, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador."
He said accepting the children to sites like this won't solve the problem but also will not be permanent.
"Dispersing these unaccompanied minors throughout the country and military bases for the 32 days while their cases are being processed is not a holistic solution, number one. Number two, that's not the point of a military base. I do know that when they're on base they're not allowed to integrate with the entire community. They're only there for a short period of time. Their case is heard and then they're processed."
Boyled stated more intervention abroad is required to contain the flow of migrants into the US.
"We will continue to be having this discussion and this problem unless we actually solve it right at the root and that is on the Mexico/Guatemala border, number one. And, number two, frankly getting more involved in the Central American countries, realizing that if they are, essentially, lawless basket cases, it will come back on us."
