Gov. McMaster Blocks Biden From Housing Unaccompanied Migrant Children in South Carolina

Gov. McMaster Blocks Biden From Housing Unaccompanied Migrant Children in South Carolina

Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order blocking President Joe Biden from housing unaccompanied children in his state.

The declaration came on the same day Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) confirmed Eerie would get 150 unaccompanied minors.

McMaster made the decision after South Carolina Department of Social Services Director Michael Leach informed him on April 10 that the government made “inquiries about possibly transporting an unknown number of migrant children from the southern border” to South Carolina. They wanted South Carolina to place the children in the foster care system.

My Executive Order ensures that South Carolina’s most vulnerable children come first and the valuable services and care they receive are not disrupted.

— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) April 12, 2021

“South Carolina’s children must always be given first priority for placement into foster care and the State’s strained resources must be directed to addressing the needs of its children,” stated McMaster. “Allowing the federal government to place an unlimited number of unaccompanied migrant children into our state’s child welfare system for an unspecified length of time is an unacceptable proposition. We’ve been down this road with the federal government before and the state usually ends up ‘on the hook.’”

From McMaster’s press release:

Governor McMaster determined that the potential risks outlined in another letter from Director Leach, coupled with the Biden Administration’s inability to address the growing humanitarian crisis on the border, left the State no choice but to act.

Those risks include, but are not limited to:

• An influx of minors occupying foster care placements and services would necessarily strain the State’s capacity for timely and stable placements of South Carolina children who enter the agency’s care.
• The federal government plans to financially incentivize private providers in the short term to the extent that these facilities may prioritize the placement of unaccompanied migrant children over DSS-related placements.
• The State may ultimately incur a long-term financial burden if families are not located in a timely manner and the federal government ceases providing direct support for unaccompanied minors.

Biden’s administration has seen an uptick of migrants at the border, including unaccompanied children.

The administration already turned San Diego’s Convention Center into a shelter for unaccompanied migrant children. They might use Long Beach’s Convention Center.

Officials asked the Pentagon to house children at two Texas bases.

A report last month indicated Biden wanted to send these children to northern states.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote on Monday that Erie, PA, will get at least 150 of the minors:

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.”

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.