(El Paso, Texas) -- Iowa Congresswoman Marianette Miller-Meeks was among a group of Republican Representatives, visiting the U-S Border near El Paso, Texas today (Monday).
"It's unconscionable that we (United States) would put policies in the place that would damage children, and that would damage families, in addition to damaging those in the United States," said Miller-Meeks. The freshman member of Congress serves on the Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness, and Border Security Committees. She said border patrol officers had been repositioned to help with the rising flow of migrant children, leaving the border porous. "There are drug traffickers and individuals on the terror watch list that are coming across our border illegally," said Miller-Meeks. She also spoke about U.S. Border Patrol agents being subjected to increased stress as well as exposure to COVID-19 due to changes in U.S. Border policy.
The number of unaccompanied children crossing the U-S border in February rose 63 percent according to the U-S Department of Health and Human Services. The White House has announce it's activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist HHS in dealing with the surge.