By: Shelley Kofler, KERA News
One of President Barak Obama’s strongest critics- Gov. Rick Perry- set aside partisan differences yesterday as he met privately with the president to discuss solutions for securing the border.
Both the president and governor then sat down in Dallas with a small group of local officials and faith leaders who are preparing to shelter 2,000 unaccompanied migrant children currently being held in cramped detention facilities.
KERA’s Shelley Kofler reports that just having a civil conversation about immigration seemed like a good first step to many.
DALLAS-Citizens who lined a street outside the private meeting came to see the president, but many like Leslie Harris of Flower Mound also wanted to show support for Judge Clay Jenkins plan to move some detained migrant children to better equipped centers in Dallas County. Harris carried a sign that said – Human Rights.
Leslie Harris: I’m here because I care about the children. I’m aghast at the reaction of some people who are yelling and screaming go home go home. They’re children and I think we need to take care of them.
Elias Cantu of Dallas agreed and hoped the private discussions were going well.
Elias Cantu: “A response like this definitely needs to happen. :54 I signed up to be a volunteer so we definitely can be ready for the children when they get here.”
Following the meeting that lasted more than an hour President Obama said the governor had provided “constructive” input. Perry suggested deploying more federal border agents, and repositioning existing ones to prevent the entry of undocumented migrants. Perry wanted the federal government to speed up the processing of migrants who’ve been detained.
President Obama: “I indicated to him that what he said sounded like it made sense.”
Obama said doing a lot of what Perry proposes would be easier if Congress approves the president’s request of $3.7 billion for border security. Obama told Perry he could help by urging the Texas delegation to vote yes on the funding.
President Obama: “About half the resources would go to border security, enforcement, and expedited removal of people who don’t qualify for a humanitarian claim. About half would go to make sure we are treating children humanely. We’d also make investments to tackle the root problems in Central America.”
Providing more humane housing for the migrant children as they await immigration hearings is the most immediate concern for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, and he said the President thanked the religious and local leaders who are assembling resources and volunteers. Jenkins said the group also brainstormed some other possible solutions.
Clay Jenkins: “Mayor Rawlings threw out an idea and that is why don’t we take some of that money and build some orphanages and boarding schools in Mexico. And the head of the Baptist General Convention piped in and said, we can build the first one with our Baptist men”.
Chris Liebrum directs disaster recovery efforts for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He hopes the meeting was a beginning for a working partnership among groups that don’t always get along.
Chris Liebrum: “You knew there was different political views but it seemed everyone knew we had a problem with children now but we have a problem with immigration too.”
The first test for those who met may be working together as the 2,000 migrant children are transferred to Dallas County. Jenkins expects that to happen near the end of July.
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