Nebraska governor declines to help house migrant children

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Tuesday that he has rejected a federal request to help house unaccompanied migrant children because “we are reserving our resources for serving our kids” within the state.

The Republican governor said he disagrees with the Biden administration’s policy of allowing children to go to “sponsors” in the United States, usually parents or close relatives, while they pursue asylum cases in heavily backlogged immigration courts.

“Nebraska is declining their request because we are reserving our resources for serving our kids,” Ricketts said in a press release. “I do not want our kids harmed as the result of President Biden’s bad policies.”

Ricketts said federal officials should instead work with Central American governments to reunite the children with their families in their home countries.

His statement came days after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds made a similar announcement.