The sudden influx of illegal immigrant children and the humanitarian crisis the federal government is facing due to insufficient supplies and poor conditions for them was caused by President Barack Obama, says Rep. Ted Poe of Texas.
"This humanitarian crisis has been caused by President Obama and the uncertainty about the enforcement of the law," Poe told J.D. Hayworth on "America's Forum" on Newsmax TV Monday.
"Children are told, 'Go to America and cross the border illegally, America will rescue you, they will take care of you, after a period of time they will give you legal status and we will join you in America,'" Poe claims.
"That's why kids are making this dangerous trip from Central America through Mexico to the United States," he added. "It's going to continue because everyone knows in the United States and in foreign countries that we have an administration that doesn't enforce the rules. Doesn't enforce the law. So they hope that this humanitarian crisis will cause a result of more people coming into the United States, thanks to the president of the United States."
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More than 47,000 illegal immigrant children were detained by the Border Patrol from October through May. Officials predict that the number of minors crossing the border could reach 90,000 by the end of September. Seventy-five percent of those arrested are from Central American countries such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
The Obama administration wants to give these children shelter at military bases across the country, and has asked Congress for $1.4 billion to support the effort.
Several children were sent by Homeland Security to a Border Patrol warehouse in Nogales, Arizona where supplies and conditions are meager.
"We're going to continue to have this problem until the federal government goes back to the basics . . . enforce the law!" Poe said.
The Texas Republican explained that the problems at the border have also led to serious criminal activity as well.
"As those of us who live on the border know, it's awful in portions of both sides of the border because of the criminal element that moves back across the border," Poe explained.
"Not to mention, the illegal people who come into the United States, the drug cartels."
"And now we've got the scourge of human trafficking in the United States," he added.
"Why is Houston the hub of human tracking in the United States, of national sex trafficking? It's because the borders are not secure."
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