‘Our system has been pushed to a breaking point by those who seek open borders…’
(Ben Sellers, Liberty Headlines) Following the second illness-related death recently of a Guatemalan immigrant child in Border Patrol custody Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen condemned activist judges and other illegal immigration advocates for incentivizing the dangerous journey.
“Our system has been pushed to a breaking point by those who seek open borders,” Nielsen said in a statement.
Although only one in 10 asylum-seekers is granted it, Nielsen said there had been an 86 percent surge in illegal border crossings compared with last year due to “a system that encourages bad actors to coach aliens into making frivolous claims.”
The uptick in unaccompanied minors and families is the result of former President Barack Obama’s decision not to enforce deportation through his Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals policy.
Despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the program, liberal judges in the 9th District court, notorious for issuing injunctions against him, have refused to allow him to undo his predecessor’s executive fiat.
In addition, the courts helped to block Trump’s child-separation policy for families arriving at the border.
Since the children can only be detained for a period of around three weeks when there is a guardian to release them to, this means the entire family is released into the U.S.
“To those in Congress who continue to refuse to take action to address the loopholes that cause a flood of humanity to travel north and place children at risk, I once again call on you to do your job,” said Nielsen.
Although she was highly critical of the politics behind it, Nielsen said DHS will continue to do everything within its means to ensure the well-being of the children taken into custody, including an in-depth look at the medical screenings process with help from the Centers for Disease Control, Coast Guard and Department of Defense to provide additional expertise and manpower to the Border Patrol.
Due to the increased numbers of children suffering respiratory illnesses, dehydration and other conditions that may be exacerbated by the journey, Nielsen said all children apprehended now will receive a thorough medical assessment, even if the accompanying adult does not ask for one.
However, she warned that there would continue to be limit on Border Patrol’s ability to provide medical services.
“Given the remote locations of their illegal crossing and the lack of resources, it is even more difficult for our personnel to be first responders.”