The Biden administration has released the official tally of people “encountered” at the border by the border patrol and it’s even worse than projections. There were 172,000 people apprehended while trying to enter the country illegally in March, up a staggering 71 percent.
But far worse were the number of unaccompanied children who were taken into custody. There were a record 18,890 minors apprehended — more than any month in history — a 100 percent increase from February.
This is a crisis that isn’t a crisis — at least, not until the White House says it is. And like the obedient little lapdogs they are, the media is swallowing the story that there’s no crisis at the border.
The press is also faithfully — and uncritically — repeating the administration’s talking points about the border. Not only is there no crisis, but even if there was, it’s Donald Trump’s fault.
“CBP has experienced an increase in encounters and arrests. This is not new. Encounters have continued to increase since April 2020, and our past experiences have helped us be better prepared for the challenges we face this year,” Acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement. “We are committed to balancing the need to maintain border security, care for those in our custody, and keep the American people and our workforce safe.”
The Biden administration has been tackling a surge in migrant numbers in recent months, a surge which has escalated into a major crisis, although officials have instead described it as a “challenge.”
While single adults and family units can be returned via Title 42 public health protections, the administration has not been applying it to unaccompanied children. Meanwhile, Mexico has been refusing to take back family units with children under the age of seven. The result has been a re-introduction of so-called “catch-and-release” policies by which some migrants are released into the interior, and pictures have emerged of packed facilities for migrant children.
“We’re continuing to dig out of the hole left by the previous administration on immigration,” an administration official said on the call with reporters. Apparently, Trump didn’t order enough beds for Biden’s illegal kids…or something. And HHS couldn’t read Biden’s mind and know that he’d be stupid enough to allow unaccompanied children to stay in U.S. custody.
The officials blamed a lack of preparedness from Health and Human Services, saying the Trump administration didn’t ask for additional beds until Jan. 15. It also blamed the prior administration for cutting funding for the Northern Triangle and ending asylum problems.
The official said the new administration has made “significant progress” since Jan. 20, but warned that “no-one should have the expectation it’ll be solved overnight.” The official also called on Congress to act to fix the immigration system.
Trump cut funding to Central American countries because they were actually encouraging their citizens to come to the U.S and did precious little to stop them. Besides, does Biden really believe that throwing money at these corrupt governments will help the people?
Joe Biden is finding out that talking about having a “humane, safe, and orderly” immigration plan is a lot harder to achieve than it looks.
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