Gov. Rick Perry has accepted President Barack Obama's offer to discuss the immigration crisis with faith leaders and local officials in Dallas.
The governor's office says Perry is pleased to meet with the president, who will be in Dallas on Wednesday and Austin on Thursday.
Earlier in the week, Perry fired off a letter to the president, saying he was turning down his invitation to meet at the airport in Austin, instead asking to meet to talk about the border crisis. Last night, that invitation came.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement:
"When Governor Perry sent a letter to the White House yesterday indicating a desire to meet with the president, we thought it made sense here to extend an invitation to Governor Perry to allow him to participate in that meeting along with other Texans who are seeking to address this situation in a constructive manner.”
Perry's office released a statement, as well, saying:
"Governor Perry is pleased that President Obama has accepted his invitation to discuss the humanitarian and national security crises along our southern border, and he looks forward to meeting with the President tomorrow."
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Perry has been extremely critical of the Obama administration’s handling of the border.
The meeting comes at a time when Dallas County is preparing to bring 2,000 children to North Texas.
Leaders are working on getting facilities ready for their arrival.
“I will be at the meeting. Anytime the President of the United States calls for a meeting, I’m front and center," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "And [I] want to understand what the White House's plans are. It’s something that is a tough issue. But what is not tough is these are human beings. These are children like we saw today. And it’s our obligation to make sure we put them in a safe, clean environment. And the best ways that we can do that, I’m supportive of.”
NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.
