Iowa has not been asked to house undocumented children

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he would oppose allowing unaccompanied undocumented children to come to Iowa following claims from elected officials in two states that the Obama administration has resettled children there without adequate notice or details.

During weekend meetings with federal officials at the National Governors Association summer meeting, governors in Nebraska and Oklahoma expressed concern that children from Central American countries have been placed in their states while decisions on the children's futures are pending. Branstad said Iowa has not been affected by the situation yet.

'I'm not aware of any and there's been no contact from the federal government to the state of Iowa about housing children here,” Branstad told reporters. Asked if he wanted any of the children processed by the Border Patrol sent to Iowa, Branstad said 'No.”

'I do have empathy for these kids, but I also don't want to send a signal to send your kids to America illegally. That's not the right message,” he said.

Branstad said there were grave concerns expressed during the NGA meeting about the number of children who are entering the United States illegally.

'Many governors are very disappointed that they have not been kept informed, that the federal government has failed to secure the border, and that they have placed students without the participation or the knowledge of governors in their states,” Branstad said, noting many of the children initially are taken to military installations for processing.

Branstad said there is a 'delicate balance” between being compassionate and supportive of children who are part of an influx from Central America illegally crossing the U.S. border while at the same time protecting the rule of law, bolstering the integrity of the United States' southern border, and preventing dangerous and violent activities.

'Just because we're an empathetic and supportive country doesn't mean that we can take everybody,” Branstad added. 'People need to know that there is a legal way to come to this country and they need to follow the rules.”

Shari Petersen, a former Iowa resident who now lives in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, said she read Branstad's comments online and believed he was taking 'an extremely cold” position.

'It's not the children's fault that they're here,” Petersen said.