Pelosi Says Surge of Migrant Children At U.S.-Mexico Border Is a ‘Humanitarian Crisis’

By Joshua Summers Mar 15 2021, 00:25 AM EDT

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the Trump administration for the influx of unaccompanied migrant children on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pelosi's comment comes following the announcement of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be aiding in the transfer of the migrant children showing up at the southern border.

USA Today reported that thousands of migrant children are being held in the United States facilities' as they wait for the processing by the DHS and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The DHS should normally process and transfer unaccompanied migrant children to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within three days to be with their parents living in the U.S. or suitable sponsors until their immigration cases could be resolved. But since this is not the current scenario, more children are being held longer at the facilities of border patrol.

It can be recalled that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known by her initials AOC, earlier criticized the Biden administration for reopening a facility in Texas to detain migrant children.

Pelosi and Migrant Children

The Biden administration has reversed several immigration policies of the former administration, including the policy directing extra funds in constructing the border wall, CNBC reported.

Despite criticisms on the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border due to President Joe Biden's open border policies, the administration argued that there is no crisis at the border yet.

"I think there is a challenge at the border that we are managing," said Mayorkas, adding that they have resources that they could utilize in controlling what happens on the border.

Pelosi noted that the influx of children on the U.S. border is an issue that the Biden administration inherited from the broken system the Trump administration has established. Pelosi added that the current administration is expediting their resources to correct those issues in the children's interest.

"This is a humanitarian challenge to all of us," Pelosi said on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday.

The Guardian reported that some 9,547 unaccompanied migrant children were taken into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody last month.

"These people were leaving because of the drought," Pelosi said, adding that the immigrants could not farm and only seek other ways to survive. Pelosi also mentioned that some of the immigrants were gravely affected by climate change.

After her interview with the ABC News, Pelosi then admitted to reporters that "this is a humanitarian crisis," a label that the administration has avoided using.

The stability of the Central American countries and the current administration's promise of a more humane approach to immigration are the factors why more children and even illegal or undocumented immigrants are seeking asylum in the U.S.

Unaccompanied Migrant Children and FEMA

As new arrivals are increasing on the border, the Biden administration has tasked FEMA to provide logistics and help control the situation on the U.S. border. Pelosi noted that the officers or agents from FEMA would assist the children and take them into custody within 72 hours.

"I am so pleased that the President, as a temporary measure, has sent FEMA to the border to help facilitate the children," Pelosi said. She was also pleased that the children would be brought to a safe place and would cater to their needs as they would be transferred to "family homes or homes that are safe for them to be."

As Pelosi commented that the influx of unaccompanied migrant children on the border was brought by the system formed by the previous administration, Republicans, on the other hand, said the Democrats are weak when it comes to immigration issues.

WATCH: Record Number Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Held in Border Patrol Custody - From NBC News