Children crossing into the U.S. by the thousands; Could Milwaukee be called upon to help shelter some?

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Children are crossing the border into the United States by the thousands to escape violence in South America. It has been happening since October, and Wisconsin is being called on to help shelter some of them. If and when that will happen is still up in the air, but a move to bring some of those children to Arizona on Tuesday, July 15th is causing conflict.

On Tuesday, reaction was quick as dozens of protesters on both sides of the immigration debate showed up in Oracle, Arizona -- near Tucson.

The sheriff there said the federal government planned to transport 40 immigrant children to the area.

While some welcomed the children, others blocked the road.

"I'm protesting the invasion of the United States by foreign people from other countries," one protester said.

For the past month, thousands of children have been crossing the border illegally to escape violence in South American countries. They are now in detention camps near the border, and there is a legal process to go through that will either allow them to stay, or send them back.

The federal government has given notice to a Milwaukee agency, Catholic Charities, that it may be called upon to help shelter hundreds of children in the Milwaukee area.

Milwaukee's Voces da la Frontera, which deals with immigration issues, doesn't see massive protests on the horizon here. Christine Neumann-Ortiz says helping the children should be a humanitarian issue -- not a political one.

"I think it's extremely important that we provide both housing, to be able to provide refuge for children who are fleeing extreme violence and in the meantime allowing them to access the immigration courts -- especially if they have family here,"

In the Milwaukee area, Catholic Charities is waiting for word from the federal government on if and when the agency will house children.

It has already identified two schools and an office building that could be used for shelters.