Thread by @charlottecuthbo

I'm at the Homeland Security Senate Hearing on the Crisis at the Southern Border (Thread 👇)
@CPBRGV @SenRonJohnson @DEAHQ

A couple of charts to get started From @SenRonJohnson

"I have never witnessed the conditions we are facing on the southwest border.'

"This is not a manufactured crisis."

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV

"On average we apprehend 1,000 illegal border crossers per day. Roughly the capacity of 17 commercial buses."

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV

"Have encountered people from 50 countries in his sector alone. From Egypt, Romania, Turkey, Bangladesh, etc."
—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV

"The word is getting out: If you are part of a family, if you bring a child - you will be released."

"Last week, we stopped a Honduran with a 1yo child. After questioning, we found out that the child wasn’t his."

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief BP agent, @CPBRGV

"Huge slowdowns at Ports of entry directly due to the 545 CBP officers who have been reassigned to help Border Patrol deal with humanitarian crisis."

—Randy Howe, executive director for operations, field ops, @CBP

"Mexico is the front doorstep for cartels. It is also a destination for illicit drugs."

"Mexico is a primary destination for the money from cartels."

—Timothy Tubbs, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo, Texas

Mexico has proven helpful in taking down Transnational Criminal Organizations and removing Special Interest Aliens (migrants who have travel patterns similar to terrorists).

—Timothy Tubbs, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo, Texas

Looks after unaccompanied minors (children under 18 who cross border without a parent).

The facilities they are housed in are similar to those for children from U.S. and are operated by nonprofits.

—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

Currently, HHS maintains approximately 14,300 beds for unaccompanied minors. This is up from 6,500 beds on October 1, 2017, but down from more than 15,800 beds on November 15, 2018.

In FY 2018, children typically stayed in ORR custody for 60 days before being released to a sponsor (most-often a parent already in the U.S.). To date, in FY 2019, the average length of care has been 82 days

"The sophistication and capacity of Mexican cartels are what worry me the most.

3 biggest issues: The confluence of synthetic drug threat, opioid abuse, and mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs."

—Greg Cherundolo, acting chief of operations, Drug Enforcement Agency @DEAHQ

"Chinese and Mexican nationals are working more together to smuggle drugs into the U.S. esp. fentanyl."

—Greg Cherundolo, acting chief of operations, Drug Enforcement Agency @DEAHQ

All witnesses related to Border Patrol, @CBP, @DHSgov agree that *most* illegal immigrants are entering the United States for economic reasons.
Agree that mandatory e-Verify would help.

HHS changed rules to increase ability to release children to sponsors. Now, @HHSGov only fingerprints and does background checks on sponsors if there is a "red flag."
—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

"It's up to Congress to define the conditions under which a child can be separated. Congress hasn't done that."
—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

Close to 80 percent of unaccompanied minors are placed with parents or sponsors who are illegally present in the United States.

—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

- 50% of males crossing illegally now have a child.

- Because of Flores Agreement they know they will get released (catch-and-release)

- We've seen "recycled" children.

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV

Solutions:

- Must address loopholes in Flores and TVPRA.
- We should also have a system in place where if someone has a credible fear situation, they can file in their home country, in a consulate.

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV

Solutions: Fix Flores.
—Randy Howe, executive director for operations, field ops, @CBP

Solutions: TVPRA and Flores. Needs legislative fix, but also need a secure border. —Timothy Tubbs, @ICE.gov Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo, Texas

Solutions:

One single piece of legislation: Scheduling of fentanyl. One classification expires in 2020.

—Greg Cherundolo, acting chief of operations, Drug Enforcement Agency @DEAHQ

Solutions:

Congress needs to define when it is permissible to remove a child from a parent.

—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

3 reasons why unaccompanied minors come to the United States:

1) Fear violence

2) Lack economic and educational opportunities

3) Have family in U.S.

—Cmdr Jonathan White, deputy director for children's programs within @HHSGov

You do need a consequence. Otherwise will just see flow increase.

We’ve got to develop a process to detain families together, go before immigration judge. If granted asylum=stay. No asylum=deported immediately.

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, RGV sector @CPBRGV

"We’ve taken an oath of office to defend this country. We will do our jobs as humanly as possible, but we have laws to follow, otherwise we don’t have a sovereign country."

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, RGV sector @CPBRGV

"The smuggling of people has become even more lucrative [for cartels], because it's an endless supply. With drugs, you have to produce more."
—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, RGV sector @CPBRGV

DEA says almost all crystal meth comes from Mexico.

Big worry is increase in precursor fentanyl analogues being shipped to Mexico from China.

And the manufacture of fake prescription pills with fentanyl mixed in.

—Greg Cherundolo, acting chief of operations, @DEAHQ

We have to release illegal immigrants into the interior of the U.S. (usually to local Greyhound bus station) as soon as we possibly can—sometimes it's within a matter of hours.

—Rodolfo Karisch, chief Border Patrol agent, Rio Grande Valley sector @CPBRGV