For two days I’ve been trying to find the words to react to Governor Terry Branstad slamming the door on unaccompanied and undocumented immigrant children who are staying in crowded facilities near the U.S. southern border. Since last fall, at least 50,000 children are estimated to have entered the country via Mexico from various countries of origin, mainly Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The Obama administration has asked governors to help house the kids. During his Monday press briefing, Branstad made clear he doesn’t want any of the children sent to Iowa.

It’s not that I expected Branstad to welcome any of these kids. This is a guy who demagogued on illegal immigration during his last campaign and disagrees with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows undocumented children to be educated in public schools. Still, for those of us old enough to remember Governor Bob Ray welcoming refugees from Asia to Iowa during the 1970s, it’s dispiriting to hear Branstad trot out tired excuses and talking points. He wants “empathy for these kids” but doesn’t want to “send the signal to send these children to America illegally.” As if these children deliberately broke the law. As if families in desperate circumstances, trying to save their kids from murderous gangs in central America, would be influenced by “signals” from generous Iowans.

I have nothing profound to say, I just find it depressing to hear the governor cite some charitable work by his wife as an excuse not to do anything to alleviate a humanitarian crisis. After the jump I’ve posted some news clips on the story, along with a call to action from the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.

P.S.- What a disgrace for WHO-TV to allow reporter Aaron Brilbeck to file a story referring to human beings as “illegals” in the headline and the lede. Where were the newsroom editors? I expect that kind of language in a press release from Representative Steve King’s office, not from a reputable media organization.

P.P.S.- Philip Brasher, formerly of the Des Moines Register, filed an excellent feature for Roll Call about “The Other Side of the Border.”

From O.Kay Henderson’s July 14 report for Radio Iowa (click through for audio from Branstad’s press conference):

“There’s been no contact from the federal government to the state of Iowa about housing children here,” Governor Terry Branstad says.

Governors of states like Nebraska and Oklahoma have expressed concern about dozens of the children from Central American countries who’ve been processed by the Border Patrol and then sent to their states. Branstad was asked this morning during his weekly news conference if he wanted any of those children sent to Iowa.

“No,” Branstad replied. “I just think the first thing we need to do is secure the border and I do have empathy for these kids…but I also don’t wnat to send the signal that: send your kids to America illegally. That’s not the right message.”

An Obama Administration official met with Branstad and other governors during a National Governors Association meeting in Nashville over the weekend. Branstad says governors want to do what they can to make sure residents in their states are kept informed.

“We have a delicate balance between being compassionate and supportive of children and at the same time believing in the rule of law and protecting the integrity of our border and to prevent dangerous and violent things from occuring,” Branstad told Iowa reporters today.

From William Petroski’s report for the July 15 Des Moines Register:

Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba has proposed that his community become a refuge for the detained children, and he has put together a team of people from hospitals, churches and other organizations to develop a plan to help them.

Branstad said he was not aware of any immigrant children being sent to Iowa, but he added that other governors have been disappointed about not being informed when immigrant children were sent to their states. The children have sometimes been sent to military installations, and efforts have been made to place them elsewhere, he said.

“We do need to make sure that children are not abused and that they are treated fairly,” Branstad said. He noted that while he was president of Des Moines University, some medical students went abroad to help people in Latin America, Asia and other places.

Branstad, a Catholic, was asked about the fact that Iowa’s four Catholic bishops recently issued a public statement expressing humanitarian concern about the immigrant children who have crossed into the United States. He noted that his wife, Chris, is a board member of Holy Family Catholic School in Des Moines, which has a large percentage of minority students, many of whom are immigrants, and that he has contributed and supported education for these children.

Grant Rodgers and William Petroski reported in the July 16 Des Moines Register that a private charitable effort to house some children in Clarinda was dropped after meetings with state officials. Meanwhile,

The Eychaner Foundation, headed by Des Moines businessman Rich Eychaner, announced Tuesday it is establishing a program called “1,000 Kids for Iowa,” to help relocate 1,000 children detained along the southwest border of the U.S. to reside with Iowa families.

The program is intended to help coordinate as local communities, churches and individuals register their willingness to house one or more children or donate supplies, services and support to children as they arrive in Iowa, Eychaner said. The 1,000 Kids for Iowa program will work in conjunction with new and existing organizations, he said.

“If every state organized to accept 1,000 kids or more, proportionate to their size, the incarceration of children could end,” Eychaner said.

Others agree.

“We feel a responsibility to provide a safe place for these refugees,” said [Joe] Henry of LULAC. “We would love to have them come to Des Moines. We believe in a caring community.”

Henry said other Iowa cities should follow the lead of Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, who has proposed his community become a refuge for the detained children. Gluba this week assembled a team representing hospitals, churches and other organizations to develop a plan.

From an Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Facebook update on July 15:

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa is coordinating an effort to organize a faith community response asking Governor Branstad to reconsider his position of Iowa refusing to welcome the children who have recently come to the United States from Central America. Iowa has a long history of welcoming immigrants and refugees, providing care and shelter to meet their needs. Of greatest concern in the governor’s position is the fact that these are children. We are asking the governor to reevaluate and to welcome some of these children who need Iowa’s help. Iowans – people of faith and of no faith – are ready to help. Interfaith Alliance of Iowa has begun reaching out to denominational, congregational, and faith leaders to ask for their voice and support in responding to the governor and asking him to reconsider. We welcome any and all of your suggestions, help, contacts, etc. Contact us here or by email at kristin@interfaithallianceiowa.org.

From the same organization’s action alert:

As you may know, Governor Terry Branstad issued a statement on Monday drawing a line in the sand and stating the children who have recently entered the United States from Central America should not be sent to Iowa. It is the opinion of many people of faith and Iowans of no faith that Gov. Branstad’s response lacked compassion and did not represent the Iowa value of hospitality for which we are historically known.

We can have an impact if we are organized, direct and persistent. We need your voice!

Please feel free to use the ideas below and forward them freely to your network of friends. The main point is for Iowans to be empowered to use their voices asking Gov. Branstad to reconsider his position, to work with Iowa’s faith community and others to find solutions, and to allow some of these children to come to Iowa so we might do our part as a state in providing shelter and care for them.

Contact Governor Terry Branstad directly.

As an Iowan and as a person of faith (identify this clearly if it is relevant to you), ask Gov. Branstad to reconsider his position, consider our shared Iowa value of hospitality, welcome to Iowa some of the children who have fled to the United States, and work with Iowa’s faith community and other organizations to find solutions in our state.

Email Gov. Terry Branstad through his website at https://governor.iowa.gov/cons… and/or call his office at 515.281.5211.

Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper voicing your opposition to the governor’s position and asking him to reconsider. (See 1. above for wording to share with the governor.)

Talk with other Iowans about this urgent issue. Forward this information to your friends, people of faith, and people of no faith. Ask them to contact the governor in the same manner and write a Letter to the Editor of their local paper.[…]

(From the General Conference of The United Methodist Church) Contact members of the Iowa Congressional delegation and urge them NOT to repeal the provisions in the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). This bill was unanimously agreed to by ALL members of Congress. It would not return vulnerable migrants to danger and it would reduce the likelihood that the U.S. would deport children back into the hands of traffickers and others who would exploit them. Proposed changes to the TVPRA mean that children would not have a meaningful opportunity to have their story heard, apply for asylum, or be cared for humanely by child-welfare personnel. The children would be deported to potentially life-threatening situations. Congress should NOT rescind this bipartisan law at precisely the time when more children are in need of these protections. Call 1.888.427.0530 and ask for both your Senators and your Representative and say, “As a/an (person of faith; or, list your faith specifically; or, Iowan), please protect unaccompanied children and don’t repeal the TVPRA!”