More Fake News, Trump Touts Need for Emergency Response at Border

“My question is, do they actually need more people on the border or are they just trying to make a statement here?” Asked, Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator during Obama’s presidency about the need of this new team. A DHS official shared similar questions, stating it may likely just be a show to further the claim of there really being an emergency. The official states that this kind of team would be expected for something more imminent, such as a hurricane, but there doesn’t appear to be a real emergency at the border.

President Trump and his administration are in talks to send a volunteer emergency response team to the U.S.- American Border. While the team will be sent to help with security and humanitarian efforts the Trump administration hopes the volunteer team will be able to slow down the flow of people migrating over the border.

This is in addition to the hundreds of agents Trump has already sent to the border for a fake emergency. These hundreds of agents came from the Border Patrol force, which is over nineteen thousand strong. It pails in comparison to the six thousand troops for the National Guard that have already been sent.

In February, President Trump repeatedly claimed that people crossing the border had turned into a national security issue that necessitated spending over six billion dollars to fix it. However, the funding remained unapproved by Congress after a Senate vote of 59-41 blocked Trump’s declaration.

To add to the confusion, Homeland Security is at what is called “Surge Capacity,”. This department is mainly made up of volunteers from federal agencies. A DHS officials states that it is unclear whether the Trump Administration would be sending an already established team, or create a new one altogether. The idea itself is still being explored. This amount of ambiguity continues to show the disorganization of the policy efforts.

Arrest rates at the border are no where near the same levels as seen in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. This has us all wondering if Trump’s immigration crackdown is needed.

Trump’s Administration plans on hiring over twenty six thousand patrol agents, though there are still seven thousand seats to fill before they can hit that total. Meaning, we’re about to send more units, unequipped to an emergency that doesn’t even exist; ignoring the opportunity to use the funds Congress has already allocated to the trained team of professionals, rather initiating an unnecessary and timely political move that separates volunteers from their families.