U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Newsmax on Wednesday the Department of Health and Human Services has lost track of nearly 100,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border.
Joining "Prime News" on Wednesday, the former Democrat congressman explained how a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing opened his eyes to the Biden administration's ineptitude.
"This is so cruel what they're doing. Not only is it bad policy, not only is it hurting the country economically and in every other way, but it is cruel," Van Drew said of President Joe Biden's open border policies.
"There's almost 400,000 of them now — unaccompanied children that don't have any adults with them, don't have any family with them — that are being pushed over the border because the cartel is making money," he added.
Van Drew noted the "HHS doesn't even know where almost 100,000 of these kids are in our country," emphasizing the importance of solving the border crisis as soon as possible.
Immigration is just one of the many areas on which Van Drew diverges from his former party.
He cited a famous quote from former President Ronald Reagan for why he switched parties in 2020: "I didn't leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me."
The Democratic Party "doesn't in any way represent the Democratic Party of John F. Kennedy or of other people from the past. This is a Democratic Party that is extreme, that is really a socialist party, that is doing great harm to our country," Van Drew said.
"This administration has brought us to the brink. We are on the precipice. And if we're not strong, and if we don't have good basic values, we're going to really have problems in this country."
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