The Biden administration is sending the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the US southern border to care for unaccompanied migrant children amid a recent influx.
The Department of Homeland Security said in press release On Saturday, FEMA will support a 90-day effort to accommodate, accommodate and transfer unaccompanied minors crossing the border.
“I am grateful for the exceptional talent and responsiveness of the FEMA team,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Alejandro MayorkasDHS grants temporary legal status to Myanmar residents in the US Mayorkas torpedoes Biden administration’s stance on asylum seekers Biden repeals Trump’s ‘public charge’ rule MORE said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure that unaccompanied children are transferred to HHS as soon as possible, in accordance with legal requirements and in the best interest of the children.”
The effort comes because Biden is dealing with a record number of unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border.
CBS News reported on Tuesday that more than 3,200 children are trapped in adult migrant Border Patrol cells, and nearly half have passed the CBP’s three-day deadline to be transferred to a suitable shelter.
The government has said it wants to transfer the unaccompanied minors from US Customs and Border Protection to the care of the Department of Health and Human Services, and place them with a family member or sponsor until their case is tried.
Mayorkas went on to state, however, that those entering the US through “irregular channels” will be rounded up and returned.
“It is never safe to get to the United States through irregular channels, and this is especially true during a pandemic,” Mayorkas said. “To effectively protect both the health and safety of migrants and our communities against the spread of COVID-19, those detained at the border are still being refused entry and returned.”
The White House has been criticized for its handling of the influx of migrants. While President Biden
Joe BidenPentagon takes charge of extending Guard’s time at Capitol Booker to try to make child tax credit expansion permanent Sullivan says tariffs won’t be at the center of talks with China MORE has abandoned the harsh practices under the former President Trump
Donald Trump Pentagon Takes Heat For Extending Guard’s Time As Capitol Fundraising Spits At Trump-GOP Rifts Trump Rally Organizer Claims Alex Jones Threatened To Throw Her Off Stage: MORE ReportThe increase in migrants, especially unaccompanied minors, has prevented the administration from processing detainees and moving them to a safer, more hygienic place. The process has been further complicated by the pandemic, with restrictions on social distance.
A recent CNN exposé described detention centers, under the supervision of CBP, as “similar to prison cells and not intended for children.”
“We don’t want them in the CBP facilities,” said the White House press secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiWhite House Faces Challenge To Overcome Hesitation Over GOP Vaccines Bill Would Stop Biden From Dropping Cuba As State Sponsor Of Terrorism The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented By Johns Hopkins University – Biden Sets Up An Optimistic Tone For Summer MORE said Tuesday
“We want them to be in shelters as soon as possible and ultimately in families and homes where their application can be processed. But we want to speed up the way we research families and also sponsor homes. “