Governor Pat McCrory says state officials don't have enough information about what he calls unaccompanied children. He says at least 1,200 children have crossed the US border since January and are now placed with sponsors in the state.
State officials are publicly calling on the federal government to help address the issue. McCrory says they don't have details, including how old the children are, where they're staying or if they're safe.
“We're very concerned about the lack of procedures that are in place to ensure that the sponsors return these kids to immigration court,” he says. “And we're also concerned, of course, that there is no oversight, follow through or basic data on these children.”
McCrory also raised concerns about the health and safety of the children and if there are enough resources to treat them.
“Are they being put in situations where they could be used in further criminal activities, or be abused in such areas as prostitution or drugs or trafficking or anything else that can harm these children,” he said.
McCrory says the federal government needs to give the state advanced notice of children who are placed in North Carolina. He's also encouraging backgrounds checks of the sponsors and is calling on immigration courts to speed up their hearings.