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We face a cascading crisis at our southern border. The system is in freefall. @DHSgov is doing everything possible to respond to a growing humanitarian catastrophe while also securing our borders, but we have reached peak capacity & are now forced to pull from other missions.
Let me be clear: the volume of vulnerable populations arriving is without precedent. This makes it far more difficult to care for them and to prioritize individuals legitimately fleeing persecution.
Smugglers and traffickers know that our laws make it easier to enter the country and stay if you show up as a ‘family.’ So they are using children as a ‘free ticket’ into America and are even using kids multiple times—recycling them—to help more aliens get into the United States.
Our border stations were not designed to hold young people for extended periods, yet this influx has forced thousands into overwhelmed facilities. This goes well beyond politics. We must come together to tackle the crisis & reduce the flows so children are not put at risk.
Any system that encourages a parent to send their child alone on this terrible journey—where they are exploited, pawned, and recycled—is completely broken.
That is why I'm redirecting additional personnel & resources from across @DHSgov to assist with the response. I've put out a call Department-wide for volunteers to provide support to our frontline agencies, and I am appealing to interagency partners for further assistance.
The truth is that it will not be enough, so this week I notified Congress that @DHSgov will need emergency legislative action to restore order, achieve operational control of our border & ensure we can fulfill our humanitarian responsibilities effectively. dhs.gov/sites/default/…
