Rightwing Opponents Target Shelter Sites for Migrant Children

Cities and towns across the country are responding to the influx of migrant children from Central America, with some offering safe haven and others saying: Not In My Backyard.

The federal government is reaching out to state officials, seeking places to safely house the tens of thousands of children coming across the U.S.-Mexico border. Some, like Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, are amenable to helping; others, like Iowa governor Terry Branstad, are not. 

While xenophobic protests in Arizona and California continue to rage, the crisis has reached far beyond the border states, with elected officials and residents as far away as Michigan and Maryland weighing in.

According to Thursday’s New York Times:

Such opposition has taken a frightening turn; protesters in Vassar, Michigan this week carried AR-15s and handguns as part of their demonstration.