CBP Commissioner: We’ve reached a breaking point at Southern Border. It’s an unprecedented crisis

A breaking point at our Southern Border. That’s what the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection said we’ve reached as he addressed the media today in El Paso.

Kevin McAleenan said that on Monday and Tuesday CBP started the day with 12,000 migrants in custody in El Paso, today that number was more than 13,000 – which is why they’ve set up temporary transition centers like the one underneath the Santa Fe Bridge in downtown – because their facilities are overwhelmed. McAleenan said 90% of the crossings are happening illegally, in between Ports of Entry.

McAleenan said that CBP is on track to see 100,000 migrant apprehensions in March. McAleenan said, ” CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our Southwest border. And nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso. ”

According to McAleenan said that with the record-setting migrant influx, it’s nearly impossible to process the migrants properly saying, ” These groups cannot be repatriated expeditiously, and instead, are almost guaranteed to be released to remain in the US indefinitely. ”

CBP is also facing major challenges when it comes to providing adequate medical care to the migrants.

He said, ” We are now taking up to 60 migrants a day to the hospital, with 55,000 families, including 40,000 children expected to enter the process this month, we are doing everything we can to simply avoid a tragedy in a CBP facility. ”

Another challenge McAleenan said border patrol is facing, is security. With 40 percent of their personnel – in key sectors like in El Paso – now working to keep migrant families and children safe, their ability to secure the border has been compromised. ”

McAleenan said, ” While 65 percent of crossings are now families and children who most often present to Border Patrol agents. 35 percent are still single adults who try to evade apprehension at our border, and within that flow are thousands of criminals, smugglers, gang members, and public safety threats. ”

McAleenan is calling on other agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security for help, ” This includes the National Guard, it includes the Department of Defense, ” McAleenan said.

He also said that the way to solve the crisis at the border is, ” Legislative relief, changes in the law and closing the vulnerabilities in our legal framework is the only way that this flow is going to be reduced. ”

According to McAleenan , The CBP is now screening immigrant children under 17 years old for medical issues, and have dedicated more than 100-thousand man-hours on transporting migrants to medical facilities.