Hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee - Dangerous Passage: The Growing Problem of Unaccompanied Children Crossing the Border

Hearing

Today on the Southwest border we are facing an escalating refugee crisis. Parents are handing over their
young children by the thousands to cartels who are profiting by smuggling these kids to the U.S. Many
are under the age of 10 -- including some barely old enough to walk.

These children, with no parent, relative or legal guardian, risk a perilous and sometimes fatal journey
riding buses or trains from Central America via Mexico. As a father of five, it's unimaginable what
would compel a parent to risk the lives of their children on such a dangerous passage, not to mention the
risk of sexual assault, exploitation and the potential to be trafficked.

When they arrive at the border, the children are simply turning themselves into the nearest Border Patrol
agent. However patrol stations are not set up to handle this massive and growing number of detainees --
let alone children. Shelters have been established, like the one at Lackland Air Force Base in San
Antonio. We've all seen the photos of hundreds of children piled on top of each other, and the flow
shows no signs of abating. Every member of this Committee, including myself, is gravely concerned
about the safety of children no matter where they come from.

Since October, 52,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed into the United States from Mexico -- nearly
two thirds of those crossed through the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. CBP estimates that next year more
than 150,000 unaccompanied children may attempt to cross our borders.

This is a crisis that has been in the making for years -- one that we should have seen coming -- but few
concrete actions have been taken. The Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. government as a
whole, has been slow to act, turning a blind eye to the warning signs. The tragic fact is these children are making a dangerous journey based on misinformation and the false promise of amnesty.

The first step is for the Administration to acknowledge the cause of this problem. No one questions the
fact that there are horrible economic conditions and violence in Central America. But these conditions
are not new.

What is new is a series of Executive Actions by the Administration to grant immigration benefits to
children outside the purview of the law -- a relaxed enforcement posture -- along with talk of
comprehensive immigration reform.

It is beyond dispute that such a narrative shapes behavior and encourages people to come to our country
illegally. In fact, newspapers in El Salvador and Honduras seem to be encouraging youth to head to the
United States based on these policies. And recent internal DHS surveys of these children reveal that
more than 70% believe they are going to stay in the country.

This Administration should send an unambiguous message that those arriving will be promptly sent
home. I, for one, do not want to see another child harmed because we have not clearly articulated the
realities on the ground, consistent with current law.

Yesterday, I was glad to see Sec. Johnson's open letter to the parents of children crossing our Southwest
border notifying them that there are no free passes into the United States. This is a good start but more
must be done.

In addition to a robust and effective public service campaign we should also engage with the
government of Mexico to step up their efforts to secure their southern border. I call on the President of
Mexico, and his interior minister to do just that.

I am very concerned that this recent surge is weakening our border security efforts here at home. Border
Patrol Agents and ICE officers who are looking after these children are being taken away from their
main duty of tracking down drug and weapons smugglers, as well as criminal aliens. Operational control
of the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest sector in the nation may be suffering, and cartels will no doubt
exploit the situation.

Recently, the state of Texas announced that it would surge border security operations along the border to
fill a void left by the Federal government. Securing the border is a responsibility of the Federal
government. States should not need to protect what is in the Federal government's role under our
Constitution. The President needs to immediately send the National Guard to the Southwest border to
deal with this crisis.

We need to find solutions to this crisis, and soon. While Secretary Johnson has largely inherited the
current situation, I look forward to hearing how he is responding to this emergency. Again, I want to
thank the witnesses for agreeing to appear on such short notice

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