Acting ICE director: Congress has failed to do their job on immigration crisis
CBP reports 'full blown emergency' at the border; reaction from acting ICE director Mark Morgan.
The acting director of ICE appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” Wednesday where he blasted Congress for inactivity regarding the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, saying lawmakers “refuse” to do what’s needed.
Mark Morgan, who took the job in early May after leading the U.S. Border Patrol, also defended ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) against those who would like to see it abolished, in particular, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
“If you talk about abolishing ICE, it is absolutely irresponsible,” Morgan told Ingraham. “Last year alone 34,000 criminal arrests, 5,000 gang members arrested. Thousands of cases of child smuggling exploitation, human trafficking.”
“If you talk about abolishing ICE, it is absolutely irresponsible. Last year alone 34,000 criminal arrests, 5,000 gang members arrested. Thousands of cases of child smuggling exploitation, human trafficking.”
Morgan added, “I would like to talk to that young congresswoman and have her tell me what is going to happen if ICE is abolished."
He also told host Laura Ingraham that Congress has been a major impediment against ICE accomplishing its goals at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We've been sounding the alarm for a very long time that this is absolutely a humanitarian and national security crisis," Morgan said. "Congress has failed to do their job.
MEXICO OFFICIALS PREPARE TO INTERCEPT ABOUT 1,000 MIGRANTS
“It is unbelievable to me that we're still asking, across the board, what can Congress do," Morgan added, "when we've been telling Congress -- the experts living this every single day from ICE to the Border Patrol, the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] -- they need to pass meaningful legislation, they need to address the Flores agreement and they do that, fund some bed space and this crisis ends tomorrow.”
The Flores agreement refers to Reno v. Flores, a 1990s U.S. Supreme Court case that set standards for the treatment of minors detained by U.S. immigration authorities.
The Border Patrol's apprehensions about migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border hit their highest level in more than a decade in May, as officials warned they don't have the money and resources to address the surge of parents and children entering the U.S.
Agents apprehended 132,887 in May, the first time that apprehensions have topped 100,000 since April 2007. It set a record with 84,542 adults and children apprehended. Another 11,507 were children traveling alone, and 36,838 were single adults.
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Morgan acknowledged dire situations involving facilities and supplies on the border with Mexico, saying conditions and facilities were unsafe and arguing that Congress refuses to help.
"Congress is still sitting on their hands,” Morgan said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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