Thread: 760 Children From Border Sent to Tennessee

Posted 9:38 pm, July 25, 2014, by George Brown, Updated at 10:12pm, July 25, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Governor Bill Haslam wants to know why 760 unaccompanied minors, who crossed the border illegally, were sent to Tennessee without the state being told.

Friday, Haslam sent a letter to President Obama, saying, “Not only was our state not informed prior to any of the children being brought here, I still have not been contacted and have no information about these individuals or their sponsors other than what was posted on the HHS website and subsequently reported by media.”

More than 30,000 minors, with an average age of 15, have been sent to numerous states. It’s estimated as many as 120,000 more minors could cross the border illegally if the trend continues.

In his letter, Haslam went on to say:

Although solving the border crisis is a federal responsibility, this influx of immigrant children could have a significant impact on state and local governments. Therefore, we strongly believe that the state needs to be informed prior to any additional unaccompanied immigrant children being released in Tennessee, and we also need immediate answers to the following questions:

1. What was the process for determining that these children should be released to sponsors in Tennessee?

2. How did you locate and evaluate the fitness of their sponsors?

3. What medical screenings were the children given prior to their release in Tennessee?

4. What is the official immigration status of these children and their sponsors?

5. In what localities are these children now residing?

6. What are the legal requirements concerning the provision of services for these children while they are in the state?

7. What additional information is available on these children, such as age and health status?

8. How long will these children be in Tennessee?


http://wreg.com/2014/07/25/760-minors-from-border-sent-to-tennessee/

July 25, 2014

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama:

I write to you to express my concern about the number of unaccompanied immigrant children entering this country and the failure of the federal government to notify states in which children are being released.
On July 13, the nation’s governors met with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell during the annual National Governors Association meeting, which I hosted in Nashville this year. We spent a significant amount of time in that meeting discussing the issue of unaccompanied immigrant children. Although this is a complex issue and one that ultimately must be solved at the federal government level, governors are rightly concerned about the impact on states. We emphasized to Secretary Burwell the need to be informed of any children being relocated to our states.

It is unacceptable that we became aware via a posting on the HHS website that 760 unaccompanied children have been released by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to sponsors in Tennessee without my administration’s knowledge. Not only was our state not informed prior to any of the children being brought here, I still have not been contacted and have no information about these individuals or their sponsors other than what was posted on the HHS website and subsequently reported by media.


Although solving the border crisis is a federal responsibility, this influx of immigrant children could have a significant impact on state and local governments. Therefore, we strongly believe that the state needs to be informed prior to any additional unaccompanied immigrant children being released in Tennessee, and we also need immediate answers to the following questions:

1. What was the process for determining that these children should be released to sponsors in Tennessee?

2. How did you locate and evaluate the fitness of their sponsors?

3. What medical screenings were the children given prior to their release in Tennessee?

4. What is the official immigration status of these children and their sponsors?

5. In what localities are these children now residing?

6. What are the legal requirements concerning the provision of services for these children while
they are in the state?

7. What additional information is available on these children, such as age and health status?

8. How long will these children be in Tennessee?

Tennessee is a diverse and welcoming state, and we also understand that this is a complicated issue. However, an influx of unaccompanied immigrant children to the state, with little information being made available to the public or to state leaders, creates confusion and could be very problematic. The start of school is approaching for many districts across the state, and the federal government’s actions have caused great uncertainty around this issue.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to receiving a response to these urgent questions.

Sincerely,
Bill Haslam
Governor

cc: The Honorable Sylvia Burwell, Secretary, HHS

https://localtvwreg.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/click-here-to-see-the-letter.pdf

Related:
http://www.alipac.us/f12/tennessee-haslam-says-he-not-told-unaccompanied-minors-308172/?

Feds Quietly Dump Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants in Tennessee

by Todd Starnes July 28,2014

Imagine you’re about to sit down for supper when suddenly 760 folks show up on your front porch wanting fried catfish and hushpuppies. You’d be fit to be tied as they say in Tennessee.

And Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is fit to be tied.


The Obama administration recently released 760 illegal immigrant children to sponsors in the Volunteer State without any warning, the governor charged. There was not so much as a text message or tweet.



“It is unacceptable that we became aware via a posting on the HHS website that 760 unaccompanied children have been released by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to sponsors in Tennessee without my administration’s knowledge,” the governor wrote in a strongly-worded letter to President Obama.


Haslam, a Republican, said he still has not been contacted by the Obama administration – and has no idea where the illegals were resettled.


“I still have not been contacted and have no information about these individuals or their sponsors other than what was posted on the HHS website,” he wrote.


The Office of Refugee Resettlement says sponsors are typically a parent or relative who can care for the illegal immigrant child while their immigration case is processed. All sponsors are required to undergo background checks.


It’s also unclear why the ORR is handling the children – since they are illegal immigrants and not refugees.


It’s been the Obama administration’s standard operating procedure to release the illegals into states without notifying local or state government officials.


White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that the illegal immigrant children have a right to privacy. He said privacy rights of the illegals are more important than the public’s right to know what’s happening.


Haslam warned the sheer number of illegals could “have a significant impact on state and local governments.”


Specifically, he feared whether the massive numbers will complicate the start of the new school year.


“An influence of unaccompanied immigrant children to the state, with little information being made available to the public or to state leaders, creates confusion and could be very problematic,” the governor wrote.


Dan Howell, a [TN] Republican state house candidate, said the administration’s actions are outrageous and commended Haslam’s letter.


“I believe in legal immigration but I support Gov. Haslam's response to the president's decision which is an outrage,” Howell told me. “It's unfortunate the president's actions are putting a strain on Tennessee's resources but what's more unfortunate is the hardship his actions are imposing on these children and the fact the president is ignoring the law and refusing to seal the border.”


Meanwhile, Haslam is demanding the Obama administration answer eight questions about the illegals dumped in his state.
Among the most pressing questions, he wants to know if the children were given medical screenings, how their sponsors were screened, the official immigration status of the illegals and their sponsors, the localities the children were placed, and how long they plan to be residents of the Volunteer State.


Gov. Haslam has a right to be concerned.


If Obama is truly acting in the best interests of the nation – why is he cloaking this nefarious scheme in a shroud of secrecy?

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/...-in-tennessee/