150 refugee children from Mexican border are headed for Erie
At least 150 of the thousands of refugee children who had been detained in recent weeks at the U.S. border with Mexico are expected to arrive in Erie on Tuesday.
The children are apparently to be housed in a dormitory owned by the Pennsylvania International Academy and located adjacent to the ErieBank Sports Park.
Confirmation came Monday from U.S. Rep Mike Kelly, R-Butler.
A statement from Mr. Kelly’s office said that he had received word that “150 migrant children will arrive in Erie tomorrow to be housed at the old sports park, which has been designated an emergency intake site by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
Mr. Kelly made it clear that he was not involved in the process and blamed the recent influx of nearly 20,000 children from Mexico and other countries south of the U.S. border on the administration of President Joe Biden.
“The fact that President Biden is now sending migrant children almost 2,000 miles away from the border to Erie, Pennsylvania for shelter shows how serious this crisis of his own making has become,” Mr. Kelly said in a statement. “The Trump administration had this situation under control, but Biden rolled out the welcome mat for migrants and illegal immigrants by ending the ‘remain in Mexico’ policy and not finishing the border wall.”
The statement from Mr. Kelly’s office said more children may arrive in the coming days.
Interviewed last week, Dylanna Grasinger, executive director for the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Erie field office, said the goal will be to take care of the refugee children, some of whom already have traveled long distances until they can be placed in the custody of family members.
“The idea is to reconnect these children with sponsors here [in the United States], a family member, a friend who will take them in. The goal is to reconnect these kids with people who will care for them.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not have any other state sites, beyond Erie, on its list. It didn’t rule out more facilities, and said it would notify state and local officials ahead of time “in advance of opening any other temporary influx care facility in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.”
Jamie Englert, director of the Immigration Legal Services of Jewish Family and Community Services, said the agency has been providing legal counsel for years for unaccompanied migrant children sheltered in the Pittsburgh region. While she could not say where current migrants are being sheltered, she said she expects the legal team to be busy helping them through the process.
The experience of navigating the numerous changes in procedures during the former Trump administration has helped prepare the agency’s legal team for the current situation. “Going through the last four years has given the team the ability to pivot quickly,” she said.
When migrant children arrive, the team provides information about their rights and provides a legal screening and advice about their options. It provides representation to those who seek asylum or other forms of relief that would provide them legal status. There are various avenues for seeking relief, and the proceedings typically take years, she said.