Responding to a federal request Friday morning, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has offered Camp Edwards on Cape Cod and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee as two locations to house up to 1,000 immigrant children.Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will review the sites to see if they are suitable.
Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos responded to the governor’s offer saying Westover should not be an option and the idea of having children stay on the base “makes no sense.” Speaking with Governor Patrick in Great Barrington Friday afternoon, U.S. Congressman Richard Neal says after talking with base officials and Kos, he doesn’t think the logistics work at Westover either.
“I don’t think that Westover is the best proposal, but having said that I also think that the nation faces a significant humanitarian crisis and all that was suggested today was an assessment process,” said Neal.
Patrick says the children would stay for about 35 days. An operational airfield, lodging at Westover is filled on the weekends by thousands of reservists.
“I think we have the capacity in every way including in our compassion to make that offer and to do so in good faith,” Patrick said Friday afternoon.
Speaking with WAMC News Thursday afternoon, U.S. Senator Ed Markey called the situation on the United States' southern border a humanitarian crisis. At the time, Gov. Patrick had not announced specific locations where children could be placed.
“I’m going to rely upon the judgment of Governor Patrick,” Markey said Thursday afternoon. “I know he’s going through a process right now. I’ll be working in consultation with him on the issue as to what is the best way for Massachusetts to proceed, but I think he’s doing so in a very humane way.”
Questions have been raised about how involved the Air Base's leaders were in the decision process, but Patrick says base leadership was told before he publicly announced his offer Friday morning. Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon, Patrick was asked about complaints that the base was not aware of his decision before that public announcement.
"Well they should have been," Patrick said. "They certainly were a part of the pre-notification. So I'm not sure it's accurate that they weren't notified. But, I've heard that from a couple of reporters. I haven't heard that from the general [Brigadier General Steven D. Vautrain.]"
