DHS secretary orders more agents to the border amid surge in illegal crossings

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also told the border agency, which is overseen by DHS, to look at adding possibly more than 2,000 officers to the border areas.

Last week, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said he was moving 750 officers from "key roles" at the ports of entry to help Border Patrol care for migrants, including helping with processing and transportation, adding that the shift would cause a slowdown in trade and an increased wait for cars and pedestrians crossing legally.

The Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security has now issued an emergency surge of border patrol agents to the border in order to deal with the crisis that is unfolding across the entire border.

Here’s the press release issued today:

Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen issued a memorandum to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan outlining new steps the agency must take to combat the growing security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

“The crisis at our border is worsening, and DHS will do everything in its power to end it,” said Secretary Nielsen. “We will not stand idly by while Congress fails to act yet again, so all options are on the table. We will immediately redeploy hundreds of CBP personnel to the border to respond to this emergency. We will urgently pursue additional reinforcements from within DHS and the interagency. And we will require those seeking to enter the United States to wait in Mexico until an immigration court as reviewed their claims.”

“Reallocation of up to 750 officers…”

The Secretary ordered Commissioner McAleenan to undertake emergency surge operations and immediately increase its temporary reassignment of personnel and resources from across the agency to address the influx of migrants. According to the directive, the CBP Office of Field Operations shall accelerate its planned reallocation of up to 750 officers to Border Patrol Sectors that are affected by the emergency. Moreover, CBP is directed to explore raising that target, is authorized to exceed it, and shall notify the Secretary if reassignments are planned to exceed 2,000 personnel.

Nielsen also ordered an expansion of the program to return migrants to Mexico as they wait for their court date:

Secretary Nielsen further directed CBP to immediately expand the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a DHS initiative to return aliens to Mexico to wait during the pendency of their U.S. immigration proceedings. The Secretary directed CBP to return hundreds of additional migrants per day above current rates to Mexico, consistent with U.S. law and humanitarian obligations. This increase in returns shall include individuals apprehended or encountered at or between POEs. Moreover, the agency is directed to plan for an expansion of MPP beyond the locations in which it currently operates in California and Texas.

This will certainly help DHS to deal with the influx of migrants, but it’s really akin to putting a bandaid on a gaping chest wound.

The only thing that will really stop this crisis from unfolding is to get the border wall built and for Congress to fix our immigration laws, something Trump has called for this morning: 

Democrats, working with Republicans in Congress, can fix the Asylum and other loopholes quickly. We have a major National Emergency at our Border. GET IT DONE NOW!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2019

On Yesterday, President Donald Trump stated he would consider shutting down the southern border or large sections this week if Mexico doesn't immediately halt all illegal immigration.

Mexico must use its very strong immigration laws to stop the many thousands of people trying to get into the USA. Our detention areas are maxed out & we will take no more illegals. Next step is to close the Border! This will also help us with stopping the Drug flow from Mexico!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2019