Rep. Jim Banks After Touring Crowded Border Detention Facility: 'It Made Our Blood Boil'
Source: Republican Study Committee
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) led the Republican Study Committee (RSC) to the southern border to get a firsthand look at the ongoing immigration crisis. With Banks were Reps. Tony Gonzales (TX), Kelly Armstrong (ND), Kevin Hern (OK), Ashley Hinson (IA), Chris Jacobs (NY), Lloyd Smucker (PA), and Victoria Spartz (IN).
In a press release on Thursday, Banks said they toured the Eagle Pass Department of Homeland Security Detention Center, "where we saw migrants & children smashed together & lying on the floor under tin foil. No adults in sight."
"Make no mistake: These children are in these treacherous conditions because of fake promises made to them by Joe Biden. They’re here without parents or guardians, and their future is completely uncertain. It made our blood boil to see how liberal open border policies are ruining lives and putting kids in danger," he added.
The situation, Banks said, "is not compassion. This is chaos!"
The RSC provided photos of the delegation's tour of the Eagle Pass facility.
Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
Yesterday, @SpeakerPelosi said things at the border were moving in the right direction. I’m at the border today hearing from law enforcement who are saying otherwise. If she believes things are going well, the Speaker should come here & see the crisis I am seeing firsthand today. pic.twitter.com/Juj0Wso157
— Ashley Hinson (@RepAshleyHinson) April 8, 2021
On Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced for the month of March they had "encountered more than 172,000 persons attempting entry along the Southwest border. This total represented a 71 percent increase over February 2021." At least 18,890 unaccompanied minors were taken into custody during March.
No wonder we have the worst border crisis in history! https://t.co/PhEcmmXjx9
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) April 8, 2021
Texas investigating child abuse allegations at temporary migrant facility, governor says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has urged the federal government to shut down a temporary facility that is holding scores of migrant children in San Antonio, following reports of abuse and neglect.
Abbott announced during a press conference Wednesday that he has ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to investigate the allegations inside the federally-run unaccompanied minor facility set up at the Freeman Coliseum, a concert and sports venue in San Antonio. The Republican governor said state officials have received complaints that include reports of sexual assault, insufficient staffing, children not eating throughout the day and children who have tested positive for COVID-19 not being physically separated from those who have tested negative.
Further details on the allegations were not provided.
Abbott described the facility as a "health and safety nightmare," blaming President Joe Biden's border policies and lack of planning for increased migration flows. Since taking office on Jan. 20, Biden has reversed many of the controversial immigration policies that his predecessor, Donald Trump, put in place, including the practice of immediately expelling unaccompanied children and teenagers. However, migration is driven by many factors, and the exact impact of Biden's policies is unclear.
MORE: Biden admin to 'surge' aid to Central America, offer 'legal paths' to stem historic migration
"The Biden administration opened the borders and failed to plan for the influx of unaccompanied children crossing the border, and now we are faced with our worst fears -- allegations of child abuse and neglect," Abbott said in a statement. “I am calling on the Biden administration to close this facility, and I am directing the DPS and the Texas Rangers to immediately begin investigating these allegations. President Biden’s disastrous decisions caused this crisis, and his administration must act now to protect these children, secure the border and end this crisis.”
Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who has been inside the facility as both an elected Democratic official and a volunteer, said the children are offered three meals plus two snacks a day and that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is placed in a separate area from other children. Clay-Flores toured the facility with Abbott after the press conference, later telling reporters that she wished the governor had done so before "he politicized children."
MORE: Video shows smugglers dropping 2 children from 14-foot border fence into US, authorities say
“What I saw when I went in there on several occasions, it was well-staffed, the children are very happy and very excited to be here,” Clay-Flores told reporters after Abbott left. “This is not a political issue. This is about children who deserve protection from adults.”
It's the first time that state officials announced they are investigating such allegations at one of the emergency intake sites that the federal government has rapidly opened in Texas, as the United States grapples with a surge in Central American migrants arriving at its southern border. The number of children and families attempting to cross the border increased by more than 100% between January and February. Meanwhile, the amount of children trying to cross the border alone jumped by 61% to over 9,400, the highest monthly total since the spring of 2019, according to statistics released last month by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
MORE: Biden administration allows access to border facility -- but not ones over capacity
Initially, 500 boys aged 13 to 17 who had arrived at the border alone were bused from El Paso to the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on March 29. As of Monday, the makeshift site was holding 1,370 unaccompanied minors. The facility has the capacity to house up to 2,500 children, who are eventually transferred to longer-term shelters, according to San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT.
Texas investigating child abuse allegations at temporary migrant facility, governor says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Migrant Apprehensions Jump 72 Percent in One Month — Up 450 Percent from Last March
Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 170,000 migrants in March who illegally crossed the border into the United States. This represents an increase of nearly 72 percent in one month.
During the month of March, Border Patrol agents took 168,195 migrants after they illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico according to the Southwest Land Border Encounters report released on Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“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,” said CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller in a written 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.”
While Miller says this is “not new,” it is exponential unprecedented growth as indicated by the blue line in the following CBP chart.
CBP Southwest Land Border Encounters Chart
During the first two full months of the Biden Administration (Feb-Mar), agents apprehended nearly 210,000 migrants. This compares to just over 280,000 during the last four months of the Trump administration combined.
CBP reports apprehending 30,389 migrants in March 2020. The March 2021 apprehension of 168,195 represents an increase of more than 450 percent over last year. Compared to the 2019 migrant border crisis, the apprehensions sat at 92,833.
CBP Apprehensions by Sector, FY2020 and FY2021 year-to-date.
Last month, agents apprehended 18,663 Unaccompanied Alien Children (up from 9,271 in February), 52,904 Family Unit Aliens (up from 19,286), and 96,628 Single Adults (up from 68,992).
The Rio Grande Valley Sector continues to lead the nine southwest border sectors with 159,470 apprehensions so far this fiscal year (which began on October 1, 2020). This represents an increase of 243 percent compared to FY2020 year-to-date statistics.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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