Jeh Johnson warns ‘it is not safe’ for kids to cross the border alone

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Thursday the government is doing its best to provide humanitarian aid to unaccompanied minors caught trying to cross the border to come to the United States. But he also warned that it’s dangerous for children to cross the border without a parent or guardian.

“Yes, we provide a number of things for children when we find them because the law requires it and because our values require it,” Johnson said at a press conference Thursday. “But it is not safe. It is not a desirable situation, and I would encourage no parent to send their child or send for their child through this process

Johnson also warned that processing centers “are no place for children” and that putting children “in the hands of a criminal smuggling organization is not safe.”
Johnson’s remarks come as the Obama administration deals with an influx of unaccompanied minors crossing the Southern border to come to the U.S. So far this fiscal year, about 47,000 unaccompanied minors have been apprehended at the border, nearly doubling last year’s numbers.
As many as 90,000 unaccompanied minors are predicted to be caught trying to cross the border this year. That number surpasses a previous estimate of 60,000.

What’s driving more unaccompanied minors to come to the U.S.

Some critics of President Barack Obama have said the surge of unaccompanied minors trying to come to the U.S. is occurring as a result of the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The federal program has given two-year work permits and deportation relief to more than 600,000 undocumented young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Critics have said that the DACA program is stoking rumors that children who come to the U.S. will qualify for the federal program and won’t be deported.

Shelters, such as this one run by Southwest Key Program in Texas, provide unaccompanied minors with a free education. (AP Photo/J.R. Hernandez)

Others have also said the federal government’s treatment of children caught trying to cross the border without a parent or guardian is also encouraging more children to come. Unaccompanied minors are currently being housed in crowded facilities where they’re provided housing, food and medical screenings.
Johnson responded to those claims on Thursday. He said the federal government is not incentivizing families to send their children to the U.S. He also said unaccompanied minors who cross the border won’t qualify for the DACA program since it only benefits undocumented youth who entered the U.S. by June 15, 2007.

“Those who cross into this country — even children — today, yesterday or tomorrow are not eligible for DACA treatment,” he said. “Likewise, the comprehensive immigration reform being considered by Congress right now — the earned path to citizenship component of that — is for those who’ve been in this country since December 31, 2011.”

Johnson added that to help make those points clear, DHS has reinitiated a pubic affairs campaign that will publicize radio, print and television ads in Spanish and English in countries where most unaccompanied children are coming from. The ads will also point out the dangers of sending children across the border alone and putting them into the hands of human smugglers.
Most unaccompanied children caught trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border are from Central American countries, including Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Many of them are fleeing violence and poor economic conditions in their native countries, while some of them are attempting to reunite with parents or family members in the U.S.

More unaccompanied minors coming to the U.S. than expected

Mark Greenberg, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), joined Johnson at Thursday’s press conference.
He said HHS had been “steadily” preparing for the increased numbers of unaccompanied minors crossing the border but that the recent numbers surpass what they expected.

“What has happened in this most recent period is that the numbers, particularly since the beginning of May, have grown at a pace beyond what we had predicted and beyond what the Department of Homeland Security had predicted,” he said. “And that’s what has caused this most recent set of challenges.” 

Those challenges include having overcrowded facilities in Texas that can no longer hold more unaccompanied minors. As a temporary solution, the Obama administration has set up processing facilities in several states to house unaccompanied children.
One of those centers is in Nogales, Ariz., where newly released photos show unaccompanied children sleeping on the floor inside a warehouse. The photos, released Sunday by a Tucson radio show called The Jon Justice Show, raised humanitarian concerns.
In a letter sent to the White House on Monday, Rep. Raul Grijalva said he was concerned about the conditions children are facing in the Nogales facility. Grijalva wrote in the letter:

“I understand resources are strained and immediate actions need to be taken. However, according to reports, this facility is not in a suitable condition to hold the unaccompanied children.”

NBC News reported this week that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are improving conditions at the facility in Nogales by adding new staff members and more beds.
Other facilities have opened up in Texas and California. Another facility is scheduled to open in Oklahoma on Friday.