The Democratic-run city of Albuquerque is forcing U.S. kids out of city accommodations to provide cheap temporary housing for foreign migrants.
The first victims were American children in a state 4H club who were expecting to use the temporary accommodation at the Expo New Mexico convention center for a four-day horseriding course.
“My daughter was in tears about this,” Dr. Donny MacDougall told KRQE.com, which continued:
“We were extremely disappointed when we have a quality facility like Expo New Mexico and the rug gets ripped out from under our kids’ feet,” MacDougall says.
Just days ago, parents received a letter explaining the camp would now be held in Las Cruces because the state wants to use the dorms to help with the rush of asylum-seekers entering the U.S.
“A different venue is a challenge for a lot of parents. It will cost more money and be more difficult logistically to get the kids there,” MacDougall says.
“The city says this was an opportunity to save money for the [pro-migration] organizations that help the asylum seekers,” according to KRQE.com, which also quoted a city official saying :
“Right now, many of these [pro-migration] groups host asylum seekers at hotels and places of worship, and so as great as that is for right now, it’s not something that is sustainable. It’s very costly for these groups,” Mariella Ruyz-Angel, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, said.
The facilities at Expo New Mexico can house up to 240 migrants.
Ruyz-Angel’s refugee office was set up by city officials in 2017 to aid migrants. The Albuquerque Journal reported in 2017:
Mayor Richard Berry announced a new city office Tuesday intended to serve Albuquerque’s immigrants and refugees by providing a “central point of contact” for groups and agencies that serve them.
The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs will offer services without regard to the legal immigration status of people who seek help, Berry said at a news conference.
The office and three-member staff are funded by an 18-month $300,000 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant awarded in July.
The Expo defended its exclusion of the 4H kids:
Expo New Mexico has a proud and well-established history of providing shelter and accommodations for people in need. It has been determined that Expo New Mexico can provide a practical and humane solution through the use of dormitory space, and we are prepared to house dozens of individuals at a time as they make a temporary stop on their way to long-term housing with sponsor families in other states.
…
Community and volunteer organizations are providing food, water and toiletries via a network of donations. EXPO is an enterprise agency generating its own operating budget through the renting of our facilities, parking, and events. EXPO New Mexico receives no state money from the state’s General Fund. The costs associated with use of the Leon Harms Youth Hall has little to no impact on EXPO’s operating budget.
Expo officials say the exclusion of the 4H members, and the housing for migrants, will not impact events at the center.
While on the fairgrounds, these individuals will occupy enclosed dormitories and courtyards which are not typically utilized for public events. They will also utilize some spaces in the Youth Hall, which has limited use for year round events, though nothing is scheduled in the foreseeable future.
Roughly 100,000 economic migrants from Central America crossed the border in Apri and in May, aided by the catch-and-release rules which were created by Congress and the courts. Officials fear that 1 million migrants will cross the border in the 12 months up to October 2019. The inflow is welcomed by Democrats in many cities who choose to view the migrants as humanitarian victims — but also as cheap workers and renters for their business allies.
So far, Democrats have opposed any change in the catch-and-release rules proposed by President Donald Trump.
In response, Trump is pushing a variety of bureaucratic, and regulatory changes to curb the migration, including a program that keeps migrants in Mexico until federal court officials are ready to hear their pleas for asylum.
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