Concerns in Prince William County over transfer of immigrants

WASHINGTON — Prince William County officials are concerned and have unanswered questions after the chairman of the board relayed to them immigrant children may be housed somewhere in the county.

Corey Stewart, the board chairman, told county executives at a council meeting Tuesday someone at the Bristow-based nonprofit, Youth For Tomorrow, informed him it was working with a federal agency to house immigrant children.

“It was Youth For Tomorrow that actually gave us the heads up to let us know that they were going to be housing these children,” Stewart says. “The federal government never told us about this. They did not even inform our school system or the county.”

The matter was moved to the top of the agenda at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled board meeting when Stewart directed the county executive to get answers from federal authorities.

Youth For Tomorrow has not responded to requests for comment.

The Department for Health and Human Services Administration says it does not identify what shelters house unaccompanied immigrant children out of concern for the safety of children and staff, says Kenneth Wolfe, deputy director of public affairs at the administration for Children and Families at the department.

Youth for Tomorrow, started by former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, is a Christian- based organization that works with at-risk youth.

“The Department of Human Services hasn’t told us what facilities it’s using in Prince William County,” Stewart says. “We don’t know if Youth for Tomorrow is the only one, or if other facilities are being used.”

WTOP’s Megan Cloherty contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.

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