Texas Democrats weigh in on Congress failure to act on border crisis
Democratic Texas Reps. Pete Gallego and Joaquin Castro say they are disappointed that members of Congress went home for a five-week recess without approving additional funds…
This June 25, 2014, file photo shows a group of immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are stopped in Granjeno, Texas. Two Texas Democrats told VOXXI they are disappointed that Congress left for the August recess without approving legislation to deal with the flow of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Democratic Texas Reps. Pete Gallego and Joaquin Castro say they are disappointed that members of Congress went home for a five-week recess without approving additional funds to address the influx of unaccompanied minors coming to the United States, many of whom are coming through Texas southern border.
Lawmakers left Washington, D.C., for the August recess last week without approving legislation to deal with the border crisis. The Republican-controlled House passed a $694 million funding measure that President Barack Obama said he would veto. On the Senate side, a $2.7 billion funding measure backed by Democrats was blocked in a procedural vote.
Gallego told VOXXI additional funds are needed to ensure that children are adequately screened to determine if they qualify for protection in the U.S. He noted many of these children are fleeing violence and dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Those kids may be entitled to stay, so you have to be able to have the resources to talk to them and interview them, he said. Protecting that, I think, is very important.
SEE ALSO: Rise in unaccompanied girls and younger children coming to the U.S.
Gallego also said additional funds are need to enforce the current law and to ensure that the necessary infrastructure along the border to deal with the influx of unaccompanied minors is there. Furthermore, he said that whats also needed is meaningful immigration reform so that people can understand what the rules are.
Really, its all a matter of additional resources, Gallego said. I think you have to empower the Border Patrol to do its job. I think you have to treat the kids respectfully and humanely. And the third thing is that in terms of infrastructure along the border, you have to make sure that it is there.
Castro expressed similar concerns. He told VOXXI that he thinks the unaccompanied minors caught crossing the border ought to be given their day in court to make their case for asylum.
Most unaccompanied minors have been apprehended along Texas’ southern border. (Getty Images/John Moore)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recently interviewed 404 unaccompanied minors and found that 58 percent of them said they left their home countries because they suffered or faced harms that indicated a potential or actual need for international protection. Most of the children who were interviewed came from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador three countries with high levels of gang violence and poverty.
On Thursday, the Obama administration revealed that the number of unaccompanied minors caught crossing the border decreased significantly in July. Border Patrol agents caught a total of 5,508 unaccompanied minors in July, compared with 10,628 caught in June and 10,579 caught in May.
Nearly 63,000 unaccompanied minors have been apprehended at the Southwest border since October, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many of these children have been apprehended along the southern border through the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
SEE ALSO: 63,000 unaccompanied children entered the US illegally
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said on Thursday he was disappointed that members of Congress left for the August recess without acting on Obamas request for supplemental funding.
I hope when Congress returns in September it will act quickly on the request, Johnson said. In the meantime, to avoid running out of money, I have been left with no choice but to reprogram money away from other homeland security missions.
Gallego indicated he thinks both Democrats and Republicans share the blame for Congress inability to approve a supplemental funding measure.
The House passed a bill that they never talked to the Senate about and they never talked to the Democrats about, he said. On the Senate side, Im sure it was essentially the same process.
At some point, if you really want to solve a problem, you have to put everybody around the same table and talk to each other at the same time, he continued. Thats frankly whats missing in D.C., and thats what has to change.
When asked if he believes the House and Senate will pass a supplemental bill once lawmakers return from recess, Gallego said, Im hopeful. Im an optimist.
Castro said he also hopes Congress will pass a supplemental bill after the August recess is over. He added that House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican majority in the House need to get realistic and be willing to work with Democrats on a reasonable bill.
