Marietta rejects plan for immigrant children's shelter

MARIETTA, Ga - Marietta city leaders unanimously vote against a proposed shelter for immigrant children. Residents and various organizations spoke out against the facility at Wednesday's meeting.

Pastor Mitchell Bryant, with Freemont Grace Human Services, wanted to turn a building on Powers Ferry Road into a temporary home for unaccompanied migrant children being held at the US-Mexican border.

"A place that's safe a place they can get the services they're going to need.  What we wanted to do is put something in place different than what we're seeing in the media with the cages and the traumatized children," said Pastor Bryant.

He says 50 children could be housed there for a short period of time.  But his plan was met with opposition.

"They change the name to shelter, but really it's a detention camp, we want children to be outside with parents not in a camp and not in cages," said Geovani Serrano with Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.

Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin says it seems the pastor is trying to do something positive, but it can't happen at this location.

"It pulls at your heartstrings when dealing with children, but the security issue, where it is just wouldn't work," said Mayor Tumlin.

Pastor Bryant isn't deterred, he vows to push forward.

"At the end of the day, we're going to serve those kids. We're going to meet this opposition again. The truth didn't work in Marietta, but it will work somewhere," said Bryant.

SEE ALSO: Feds see decline in arrests of undocumented immigrants