Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Wednesday justified the recent request for National Guard assistance at the U.S.-Mexico border by citing a recent rise in illegal crossings.
While speaking to the House Appropriations Committee, Nielsen cited a "dangerous story," claiming there has been a 200 percent increase in illegal crossings in the past year, an 800 percent increase in unaccompanied children, and a 680 percent increase in families, according to CNN.
Although illegal crossings did increase 37 percent in March, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, such a spike occurs regularly in the spring as the weather warms.
"Whether these numbers are at times lower or higher than in years past, it makes little difference," Nielsen said. "They are unacceptable and must be addressed."
The secretary told reporters last week "when the president took office, the traffickers, smugglers, TCOs, and the illegal aliens that serve as their currency paused to see what our border enforcement efforts would look like and if we could follow through on the deportation and removal," according to CNN. "While we have been apprehending aliens at the border with historic efficiency, these illicit smuggling groups saw that our ability to actually remove those who come here illegally did not keep pace. They saw that there were loopholes they could exploit."
Nielsen echoed herself Wednesday, telling the committee about the need for increased border security and the closing of "dangerous loopholes."