White House faces ‘tough choices’ in rising migrant children

“It is incredibly difficult and a very emotional issue for many of us at the White House, whether you are a parent or not, or just watching these stories and listening to these reports,” said Psaki during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program.

More than 3,250 migrant children are in custody along the US-Mexico border, according to a New York Times report. Many of the children remain in cells for longer than the three days allowed by law, the Times reported.

Psaki said that thousands of children are crossing the southern border of the United States because “this government did not think it was human or moral to send the children back … on the treacherous journey back to the countries where they fled persecution, from where circumstances did flee. difficult. “

‘It is not safe for Venezuelans to return’: The Biden administration will offer legal status to those who have fled the Maduro regime

She noted that, because of the influx, it has been difficult to find facilities to transfer children where they can have access to lawyers, education and health officials. She also said that the Biden administration is taking more time to examine the sponsors, or the adults for whom the children would be delivered to the migrants’ premises.

“During the Trump administration, there was sometimes a leap to connect children to individuals, to adults, who claimed to be members of the family or to know them,” said Psaki. “There are problems with child trafficking, we need to prevent that too.”

Under US law, migrant children are separated from the adults they arrive with – usually a grandfather, older brother or other relatives – until federal authorities can confirm that the accompanying adult is their relative. The procedure is designed to protect minors from human traffickers and grant them legal protections, and is different from the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy that separated children from their parents.

Most: Migrant children on the border are still being separated from relatives for weeks under Biden’s administration

Young children are often transferred to federal shelters until their sponsor is fully examined, which can take weeks or months.

Psaki said this issue is “something that is up front and center” for President Joe Biden.

“I have participated in many meetings with the president, in which he asked, ‘How can this be faster? How many teachers do they have access to? Do we have enough health experts and doctors?'” Said Psaki. “These are the types of conversations that happen internally.

“The challenge is that there are a lot of really difficult choices,” she continued. “We are trying to find the best way forward. But there is no doubt, this is a heartbreaking circumstance at the border.”

Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

Talk to Rebecca Morin on Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

DHS Sec.: Trump admin. ‘destroyed’ immigration system

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says immigration has been “destroyed” by the Trump administration. After 27 days in office, Mayorkas told reporters, “It takes time to get out of the depths of cruelty” (March 1)

AP