Currents News Staff
“Stay home.”
That’s the message President Joe Biden has for people thinking about crossing into the United States at the southern border as his administration scrambles to respond to a surge of unaccompanied migrant children already, opening a new shelter March 17.
Officials say more people are on the way — tens of thousands of people are making the dangerous journey to the U.S.-Mexico Border.
“I can say quite clearly, ‘Don’t come, and while we’re in the process of getting set up, don’t leave your town or city or community’” Biden said.
Still, federal officials expect them to keep coming.
Most families and adults are being sent back, but all too often children are crossing by themselves.
Thousands are already in the U.S. and there’s massive overcrowding.
Peter Schey, president of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, is a lawyer representing unaccompanied minors and says things need to change.
“It is an untenable situation that the administration needs to address immediately.”
The administration says it’s a work in progress.
“We are building the capacity to address the needs of those children when they arrive,”
explained Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
That includes using a Dallas, Texas convention center to shelter migrant teenage boys, starting March 17.
The crisis these children and families are facing has become political.
‘It’s a pent up surge that started under Donald Trump,” said Representative Ruben Gallego.
“it is entirely caused by the actions of this administration,” said House Minority Leader Representative Kevin McCarthy.
The administration admits there is the perception enforcement is now more relaxed, but they say there are other elements fueling migrants outside of who’s sitting in the White House: devastation in Central America from two hurricanes last year, the toll of the pandemic and worsening conditions these people are trying to escape.