Gov. Patrick Calls For Mass. To Host Immigrant Children

06:38

Updated July 17, 2014

Sacha Pfeiffer

MCALLEN, TX. --TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014 -- Immigrants who have been detained while crossing the border are held inside the McAllen Border Patrol Station in McAllen, Texas, Tuesday July 15, 2014. More than 350 detainees were being held on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at the station. A solution for the growing crisis of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children showing up at the U.S.-Mexico border is looking increasingly elusive with three weeks left before Congress leaves Washington for an annual August recess. (AP)

Gov. Deval Patrick says the state can — and should — do more to help some of the tens of thousands of children who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months.

"I think there's a humanitarian reason to try to find a solution, try to find a way to help," Patrick said. "These are children coming from incredibly dangerous places."

The governor said he's considering a request from the Obama administration to shelter some of the children in Massachusetts while they await decisions on their status — perhaps as immigrants, perhaps as refugees.

WBUR's Sacha Pfeiffer reviews the details of Patrick's proposal, from where the children would be housed to how much it would cost to shelter them in Massachusetts.

Guest

Jim O'Sullivan, reporter for The Boston Globe. He tweets @JOSreports.

The Boston Globe: Patrick Wants Mass. To Host Immigrant Children

"Governor Deval Patrick said Wednesday he was trying to find ways for Massachusetts to host immigrant children who recently crossed the US Southwest border illegally, responding to urgent requests from the Obama administration to find places to house them."

This article was originally published on July 17, 2014.

This segment aired on July 17, 2014.

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