The city is willing to do its part to provide a safe landing spot for needy refugees, Whaley said, but there are no current plans for that to happen. Officials with cities and states across the nation, including New Jersey and Los Angeles, have said they would consider requests to help the immigrant children.
“Of course we would consider being helpful to the country, because we’re an immigrant-friendly community,” Whaley said.
Whaley’s comments sparked outrage among some anti-immigration groups, and some politicians criticized her position.
About a dozen protesters on Thursday night gathered outside a building where Whaley hosted a community meeting. They waved American flags and signs denouncing undocumented immigration from Mexico. One sign read, “Send them home.” Another, “Illegals not welcome.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, said Whaley is wrong on this issue, and the criminal border crossings must be stopped instead of encouraged.
“I think her comments are completely out of line,” he said. “When we talk about being an immigrant welcoming city, we are not talking about welcoming people who are being victims of an illegal enterprise.”
A flood of undocumented children, mainly from Central America, unlawfully have crossed into America at the southern border. Thousands streamed in, unaccompanied by adults.
The Obama administration has asked Congress for about $3.7 billion to help address the problem. Congress has not taken up the request.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said the House should act on comprehensive immigration reform passed by the Senate while Congress considers emergency funding to address the crisis.
“The recent wave of unaccompanied minors underscores the need for comprehensive immigration reform,” he said. “We need to ensure that children fleeing violence and extreme poverty are treated humanely while their claims of asylum are reviewed by an immigration judge.”
Whaley said Dayton, like a number of other U.S. cities, has talked with federal officials to receive updates on the crisis.
The Ohio Department of Health is aware of the situation and the possibility of people coming to the state, said Melanie Amato, a department spokeswoman.
The department has worked with the federal government and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but there is nothing to report at this time, Amato said.
Whaley’s comments on the subject prompted a small protest outside of meeting she hosted Thursday night. It was the second of 14 community meetings planned for across the city, which have been billed as a way to promote neighborhood strengths and connect residents with services.
The protesters, many of whom were from Cincinnati, said they wanted to send a clear message to political leadership that they will not tolerate the admittance of illegal immigrants into the community.
“They don’t have the right,” said Zee Zembry, an Arizona resident who is helping a sick relative in Tipp City. “We don’t want illegals in Dayton, Ohio.”
Ron Ungerer, a 63-year-old Xenia resident, said what happens in Dayton impacts the surrounding communities. He demanded that Whaley recant all statements in support of accepting illegal immigrants.
“This will be a very destructive thing for our neighborhoods … where will they put them?” he said.“Bringing hordes of illegals to Dayton is probably not only going to affect my neighborhood, but this very neighborhood.”
Turner, a former Dayton mayor, said it would be a mistake to roll out the welcome mat for people who are being dumped at the border by criminal actors.
“This border crisis is an effort by people who are in illegal activity, bringing people here illegally,” he said.“It should not be supported, it should not be welcomed. It needs to end.”
The humanitarian crisis and flow of border-crossers will continue until deportation becomes the main focus, said U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
“We must make clear that if you come here illegally you will be sent back home,” Portman said.
Whaley is not alone in expressing her support for the children.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said this week he would consider requests to help unaccompanied immigrant children who come to his state. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick also is considering a request to house the children.
Some residents said it is unfortunate that out-of-towners are trying to cause disruptions in the Dayton community, which does not share their views.
“We need the tax base that immigration brings, we need the jobs and we need the skills,” said Laura Jinkerson, a resident of north Dayton. “I think Greene County should go back to Greene County and take care of what they need to …. because Dayton welcomes immigrants.”
The matter is a federal issue, and the federal government does not need the states’ permission to act since the costs and operational needs for the children in their custody are expected to be funded by federal dollars, said Ben Johnson, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
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