Swalwell Addresses Crisis of Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Southern Border in Homeland Security Committee Hearing (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) questioned Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson today in a hearing regarding the growing influx of unaccompanied children crossing the southwestern border expecting to find refuge in the United States from the economic instability and gang violence in their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Swalwell criticized our broken immigration system as contributing to confusion about our immigration policies. Despite misconceptions, these children are subject to deportation and not eligible for the Obama Administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which only applies to children who arrived before 2007.

"This heartbreaking crisis of unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. is growing by the day," said Swalwell. "Our deferred action program is not the root cause. Rather than politicizing the emergency at the border, we need to ensure DHS has the funding needed to address the problem, work with our allies to reinforce the border between Mexico and Guatemala, address the underlying conditions that are causing these children to flee, and pass comprehensive immigration reform to clear up any confusion about U.S. immigration policies."

As of mid-June, 52,193 unaccompanied children had been apprehended along the southern border for this fiscal year. This figure already far exceeds the 38,759 unaccompanied children apprehended along the southern border all of last fiscal year. Three quarters of the children are from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Video of Rep. Swalwell questioning DHS Secretary Johnson can be viewed here.