Werner Oyanadel, Executive Director of Connecticut's Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, said on Monday that Latino and Puerto Rican advocates in Connecticut were disappointed with Governor Dannel Malloy's refusal to temporarily house 2,000 of the 52,000 Central American children requested by the federal government.
They made sure their disappointment caught the attention of the governor.
In response to pressure from Oyanadel and several advocacy groups and parents, Governor Malloy sent Chief of Staff Mark Ojakian to a meeting on Friday attended by an unusually high number of stakeholders concerned about the state's response to the crisis.
In a letter sent to the Commission shortly after their meeting, Ojakian said the administration would begin providing support through the Department of Children and Families to those children with a connection to Connecticut.
Ben Barnes, Secretary of the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, will "look at other opportunities and possibilities that may be available in Connecticut" to care for the children. Oyanadel said this is a step in the right direction.
Listen to some of the discussion from Monday's Colin McEnroe Show:
