City Leaders Shut Out Of Plan To Shelter Immigrant Kids

July 5, 2014 2:18 PM
Brian New

VIDEO REPORT AT LINK:


GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - A week ago, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins publicly welcomed as many as 2,000 unaccompanied border children to North Texas.

Two days ago, he announced three possible locations to house the children once they arrive. One of which is located within the Grand Prairie city limits.

However, City of Grand Prairie leaders say they are being left out of the planning process.

The City of Grand Prairie has sent a letter to Judge Jenkins, as well as the Grand Prairie schools district, asking why city leaders were not included in the discussion to make Lamar School a potential shelter site.

The stern letter, signed by the mayor, says going forward the city needs to be included in all talks concerning sheltering the children, who are due here by the end of the month.

The mayor says whether its Police or EMS, city services will be impacted once a shelter is set up within city limits.

Lamar School, which was an elementary school and then an alternative school before it closed a couple years ago, is located in the middle of a residential area. Many of the neighbors here have been calling City Hall with questions. However, the mayor and city council members say they don’t have any of the answers.

“I want to really make this clear. We will go into this with open hearts and open minds, but we have to know what we are going into,” said Grand Prairie Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Tony Shotwell. “We are not just going to walk into darkness. We have to know what it is.” )

Judge Jenkins told CBS 11′s Brian New that he did notify Grand Prairie’s mayor that Lamar was one of the sites the night before making the announcement. Jenkins said, “Community input is important as we find the best way to moved scared and traumatized children from incarceration on the border to compassionate care in Dallas County.”

No word on when there will be a community meeting here in Grand Prairie, but city officials say they hope its soon.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/07/05/city-leaders-not-included-in-planning-to-bring-immigrant-kids-to-grand-prairie/