Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana is the latest politician to accuse the White House of dumping illegal minor-aged immigrants in his state absent even a courtesy notification — and he’s now penned a letter to the president asking him to send them back to their home countries.
“In Indiana last week, we learned from media reports that more than two hundred unaccompanied children had been placed by the federal government with sponsors in our state,” Mr. Pence wrote to Mr. Obama, Breitbart reported. “Only after these media reports were published did the state receive notice from the Department of Health and Human Services that in fact 245 unaccompanied children had been placed in Indiana during the period from January 1, 2014 through July 7, 2014.”
Mr. Pence also said the children should go home, for their own sake, to be reunited with their own families.
“While we feel deep compassion for these children, our country must secure its borders and provide for a legal orderly immigration process,” he went on, Breitbart reported. “Those who have crossed our border illegally should be treated humanely and with decency and respect, but they should be returned expeditiously to their home countries to be reunited with their families rather than being dispersed around the United State in sponsored placement or long-term detention facilities.”
Mr. Pence also wrote that failing to send back the children telegraphs to the world a “distorted message that illegally crossing into America is without consequence,” Breitbart reported. It also burdens state coffers to provide for the illegals, he went on.
“Indiana will be responsible for the costs of education for these unaccompanied children and perhaps other costs related to their health and welfare,” he wrote, Breitbart said. “School officials need accurate information about unaccompanied children who will potentially be in their classrooms.”
Mr. Pence is hardly the only politician to complain about the federal government’s failure to inform about illegal minor-aged immigrants being relocated to various states.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam just slammed the White House after learning that 760 illegals were dumped in his state absent notification. And Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said recently to the Wall Street Journal that he was vexed by the federal government’s failure to inform of the illegal immigrant relocations — and he made those comments after learning that 200 were sent to his state without warning or notification.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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