Obama To Hold Border Crisis Meeting
WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - President Barack Obama will discuss the crisis at the border with faith leaders and local officials in Texas on Wednesday.
The meeting comes as Obama faces pressure to visit the border while in Texas this week raising money for Democratic congressional candidates. The White House has so far resisted the calls -- largely from Republicans -- to take a firsthand look at the tens of thousands of children arriving from Central America.
Among those calling for Obama to visit the border is Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett sent Perry a letter inviting him to meet with President Obama on Wednesday.
Perry accepted the invitation after he had previously turned down "a quick handshake on the tarmac" with Obama when the President arrives in Austin on Wednesday. Perry had said that he would be willing to rearrange his schedule for a more "substantive meeting" to discuss issues at the border.
Obama has called the situation at the border a "humanitarian crisis." The White House warned that most of those children arriving at the border will not be allowed to stay in the United States.
Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday asked Congress on Tuesday for $3.7 billion to deal with the unaccompanied children who are crossing the border. For now, the President is not seeking legal changes to send the minors back home more quickly.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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