Thread: Barletta to introduce legislation regarding illegal immigrant minors

Last updated: September 05. 2014 5:08PM
By Bill O’Boyle
timesleader.com


Barletta

HAZLETON — U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta Friday announced he will introduce legislation that will empower states and localities to control whether illegal immigrant unaccompanied minors are relocated to their communities.

Barletta, R-Hazleton, said he will introduce legislation next week to empower governors and local elected officials to control whether the federal government can place unaccompanied minors, who have illegally entered the country, into their communities.

The proposed legislation — the Unaccompanied Alien Children Transparency Act — would require the federal government to inform states and localities of relocation plans in advance, and would require the federal government to certify to the states that the minors will not pose a health or public safety risk to the community.

It would also require the federal government to provide information such as the costs associated with the housing and education of these minors.

Barletta said for the last several months, the southern border of the U.S. has been flooded by illegal immigrants — some 60,000 — many of them unaccompanied minors. Barletta has been a longtime advocate of securing our borders and he has opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants who are already here.

Barletta visited the border near McAllen, Texas, to observe the situation first-hand. He said Border Patrol agents told him many of the “unaccompanied minors” are arriving with members of their families, or they are seeking to meet up with members of their families who are already in the United States illegally.

“In addition, over three fourths of them are males, between the ages of 14 and 17,” Barletta said. “And many of them are affiliated with violent, criminal gangs, or are being recruited for gang membership right there at the border. And many of them carry communicable diseases.”

Barletta said thousands of the illegal immigrants are being transported across the country.

“That’s where the problems in our own backyard begin,” he said.

Barletta said some 456 have been brought to Pennsylvania as of July 31, in Mechanicsburg, Womelsdorf, Bethlehem, Montgomery County and Philadelphia. He said various news reports indicate that many of the unaccompanied minors arriving at the border are carrying infectious diseases, or are affiliated with violent, criminal gangs.

“Not only should states and localities know about these plans, they ought to know what impact the unaccompanied minors will have on the community,” Barletta said. “Who exactly are they, and what kind of background screenings have been done? If they will be educated locally in public schools, how much is that going to cost? These are important questions that any community would ask.”

Barletta said four illegal unaccompanied minors have enrolled in the Hazleton Area School District. He said one was 17 years old, had no formal education, did not speak English and had no medical records.

“What do you do with this person?” Barletta asked. “What grade do you place him in and how do you even begin to educate him? Not to mention the cost to even try.”

Barletta said situations like this are happening all around the U.S.

“The federal government is not being forthright,” he said. “Students are literally showing up at the doorsteps of our schools. I’m tired of Washington solving their problems by dumping them on the taxpayers.”

http://www.timesleader.com/news/loca...migrant-minors

HAZLETON — U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta Friday announced he will introduce legislation that will empower states and localities to control whether illegal immigrant unaccompanied minors are relocated to their communities.

What about all the kids that already relocated all over the USA????