WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will discuss the crisis at the border with faith leaders and local officials in Texas Wednesday.
The meeting comes as Obama faces pressure to visit the border while he’s in Texas this week to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates. The White House has resisted the calls largely from Republicans to take a firsthand look at the tens of thousands of children arriving from Central America.
Among those calling for Obama to visit the border is Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry. Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett sent Perry a letter inviting him to Wednesday’s meeting in Dallas.
Obama has called the situation at the border a “humanitarian crisis.” The White House has warned that most of the children arriving at the border will not be allowed to stay in the U.S.