June 18, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 102 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
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Border Security (Executive Calendar); Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 102
(Senate - June 18, 2019)
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[Pages S3645-S3646] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Border Security Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to discuss what is happening at our southern border, and I call upon my colleagues in Congress to act quickly to address this humanitarian crisis. Last month, terrifying reports surfaced of an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who traveled with an 8-year-old boy across the U.S.-Mexico border near Arizona. When Border Patrol agents apprehended him, the man claimed that the boy was his son, but the agents learned 4 days later that he wasn't. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Homeland Security investigations reported that the man claimed that ``he had looked for a child in Guatemala to cross the United States-Mexico international border with as he was told that it was easier to get into the United States with a child.'' The illegal immigrant allegedly paid the boy about $130 to ``rent the child'' and an additional $130 for a fake birth certificate. Tragically, this is a story we are hearing more and more about as the border crisis rages on. Homeland Security investigators are working to understand the extent of troubling cases on our border, where adults are using children who have no family relation in order for them to become eligible for release after they are apprehended. The practice has been occurring frequently enough that the Department of Homeland Security now refers to it as ``child recycling rings.'' Smugglers and cartels are well aware of legal loopholes that incentivize these criminals to manipulate vulnerable populations. Our current legal framework makes it easier to turn a profit by smuggling individuals with young children. DHS has recorded nearly 4,800 migrants in 2019 who have falsely identified themselves as family units. Recently, we received the welcome news that the Trump administration reached a deal with Mexico to ensure better immigration enforcement at the border. This agreement was an important step in the right direction at a time when our Nation needs it most. Both countries have declared a shared [[Page S3646]] goal of upholding the rule of law on both sides of the border. I am grateful for the President's hard work to secure our border, to keep this country safe, and to continue our trade with a key partner. This deal is a critical step forward, and it is taking place not a moment too soon. Illegal border crossings at the southern border have reached staggering rates this past spring. Last March alone, there were more than 103,000 apprehensions, and in April there were another 109,000. In May apprehensions at points of entry reached over 144,000. That is a 32-percent increase over the month of April. We have had over 100,000 apprehensions on the border each month for 3 months in a row. Sustained numbers like these haven't been witnessed in over 12 years. The question remains: What concrete steps are we taking as a nation to stop this? Our Border Patrol agents, who are working as hard as they possibly can, cannot keep up with the record surge of people coming into our country without authorization. Our ability to provide the care and attention for detained individuals is at a breaking point. As we know, this includes tens of thousands of innocent children. Acting Secretary McAleenan recently testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee where he noted that in the last 40 days alone, DHS has taken into custody 60,000 children. He also testified last month that border officials saw a record day of over 5,800 border crossings in a single 24-hour period. This comes in addition to the largest single group ever apprehended at our border--1,036 people. Facilities along the border haven't just reached full capacity. They are overflowing. On June 10, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that they had fewer than 700 beds available to place 1,900 unaccompanied children who had already been processed by Customs and Border Protection. This is forcing HHS to place children with sponsors at higher rates than the program has experienced in its history. It also increases pressure to find space for the influx of children within CBP facilities, which were not built for this purpose in any way. HHS desperately needs additional funding to expand its bed capacity so that they can keep pace with the increasing numbers of unaccompanied children. At this rate, HHS may not have the necessary funding to continue their care programs beyond the month of June. The situation is clear. Congress needs to act, and we need to act right now. Chairman Shelby recently announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee will vote soon on a $4.5 billion package. Over $3 billion would be directed to help resolve the humanitarian crisis by increasing the care for unaccompanied children and expanding those shelter facilities. The remaining $1 billion would fortify our security missions. To the ears of the American people, this may sound like an overdue, commonsense relief effort, and that is because it is. Unfortunately, our Democratic friends have prioritized their starring role in the political theater over our country's emergency at the southern border. Over 6 weeks ago, the administration sent an urgent plea to Congress asking for more money to secure our border and improve the conditions for tens of thousands of children. It is unacceptable that Democrats in the House and right here in the Senate are playing politics at a time when our Nation needs stability. In the coming weeks, Senate Republicans will be waiting at the table to work toward bipartisan solutions to address the crisis at the border and provide the funding that is desperately needed. I hope that my Democratic colleagues will meet us there. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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