Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott toured Lackland Air Force Base on Tuesday to see first-hand the influx of minors who have crossed into the United States without their guardians. The two Republican figureheads are placing the blame on President Obama.
Inside of Lackland are up to 1,200 unaccompanied minors at any given time. Outside of the gate, they can be heard playing soccer and basketball behind a covered fence. After touring the facility and old barracks where these minors are being temporarily housed, Abbott said since the minors began arriving, the border patrol agents have changed their roles.
“Border patrol agents who are literally changing diapers and making baby formula at that time we have the cartels who are engaging in their international trafficking operations,” Abbott said.
Earlier this month Abbott requested $30 million from the Department of Homeland Security to reinforce border security, a request that went unanswered. Cruz followed up with a letter of his own and said the number of minor crossings skyrocketed after 2012, due to initiatives like President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
“When the president of the united states announces to the world amnesty for those who have broken the law, the consequence is people respond to that," Cruz said. "And the way they’ve responded is by sending their children and handing their children over the vicious cartels."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported an increase of minor crossings beginning in 2012. To date there have been 52,000 crossings this fiscal year compared to 26,000 in 2013.
Earlier this month, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst pledged $1.3 million per week to the Department of Public Safety for border security.
