Federal Officials: No Need For Mass. To House Unaccompanied Immigrant Kids

BOSTON (AP) – It looks like Massachusetts won't be hosting unaccompanied children crossing the nation's southern border at two proposed shelters.

Federal Health and Human Services officials informed Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday that due to an easing of the number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, the administration is no longer seeking facilities for temporary shelters for unaccompanied children.

Patrick had offered either Camp Edwards military base on Cape Cod and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee as possible locations to house up to 1,000 children.

The offer met with stiff opposition from some local officials.

Patrick said Tuesday that he has been deeply moved by the outpouring of support for his offer.

Federal officials said the situation at the border is still fluid and there remains "substantial uncertainty" about future numbers of unaccompanied children.

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