June 25, 2018-The United States not only has “the worst immigration laws in the history of the world,” it also lacks the funds and resources to deal with migrants crossing its borders, President Donald Trump said late last week as he met with his Cabinet.
The statements came just before the U.S. Congress set aside immigration legislation and as the federal government came under scrutiny for separating migrant families.
Blame the Other Party
Congress appears to be stalemated despite the need to clarity U.S. immigration laws and despite the fact that tens of thousands of migrants are crossing into the United States from Mexico and Central America each year. According to the White House, 200,000 unaccompanied minors migrated to the United States since 2014.
“So [Democrats] want us to take care of bed space, and resources, and personnel, and take everybody. And, you know, like, let’s run the most luxurious hotel in the world for everybody,” Trump said at a June 21 televised meeting. “But they don’t want to give us the money.”
Meanwhile, Trump said, “Human traffickers are making a fortune.”
Fewer Asylum Cases
Trump complained that the current laws have created a backlog in court cases requiring the government to hire additional judges. “We have to hire thousands of judges. No country in the world is hiring judges like that. They hire border people that — you can’t come into the country,” Trump said.
By Monday, Trump shifted course, saying that he plans to change the way the United States handles asylum cases for people who cross into the United States illegally.
“Hiring many thousands of judges, and going through a long and complicated legal process, is not the way to go – will always be dysfunctional,” Trump posted on Twitter. “People must simply be stopped at the Border and told they cannot come into the U.S. illegally.”
Immediate Deportation
The policy change would mean that the U.S. government would turn away hundreds of thousand of migrants each year. It would impact migrants who cross the border illegally rather than going to specific ports of entry.
White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. said people caught “crossing the border illegally” would face voluntary or expedited removal. She defended the plan, saying “Just because you don’t see a judge, it doesn’t mean you aren’t receiving due process.”
Why the Change?
“We are out of resources.” Sanders said, adding that Trump would rather tighten border security than handle asylum cases that can last several years in the judicial system.
The current funding for refugees programs is $1.48 billion. That is part of the 2018 discretionary budget for the Department of Health and Human Service’s Administration for Children and Families. For fiscal year 2019, the Trump Administration requested $1.69 billion in funds for that department. Meanwhile, the administration proposed to to spend $2 billion on Overseas Contingency Operations and $395 million on international and non-governmental organizations helping refugees settle in the United States.
Temporary Shelter
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would begin providing temporary shelter to thousands of migrant families apprehended along the U.S. southern border. The department reportedly plans to use military bases outside El Paso and San Angelo in Texas.
Several federal agencies are involved with holding migrant children and adults. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a fact sheet June 23, explaining which agencies are involved.
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