Washington • President Barack Obama is facing mounting calls from Republicans to take a firsthand look at an immigration emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. But that could put him in an awkward spot, appearing alongside what he has called a "humanitarian crisis" sparked by the flood of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America.
The White House says Obama currently has no plans to visit the border when he travels to Texas next week. Administration officials say Republicans are merely focused on scoring political points.
Obama is in the difficult position of asking Congress for more money and authority to send the children back home at the same time he's seeking ways to allow many other people already in the U.S. illegally to stay.
The White House also wants to keep the focus of the debate in this midterm election year on Republican lawmakers whom the president has accused of blocking progress on a comprehensive overhaul of America's immigration laws. Obama announced this week that, due to a lack of progress on Capitol Hill, he was moving forward to seek out ways to adjust U.S. immigration policy without congressional approval.