STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner is criticizing President Barack Obama’s plan to cope with a tide of minors from Central America who are illegally crossing the U.S. border. But the Ohio Republican also is being noncommittal on whether the House would vote to approve the president’s request.

Boehner tells reporters Wednesday that Obama’s plan doesn’t do enough to secure the border. The Ohio Republican says he’d wait for recommendations from several committee chairs before deciding how to act.

On Tuesday, Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion to help increase the detention, care and transportation of unaccompanied children, bolster immigration courts and step up prosecutions of smuggling networks.

The money would also increase surveillance at the porous U.S. border.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.