The crisis at the border cannot be solved without ending the promise of amnesty. The data demonstrates that. compellingly. it was when the President granted amnesty that the numbers spiked. but more recent data demonstrates that as well. A few months ago the Border Patrol conducted a survey of over 200 people who entered illegally. many of them children. and asked the obvious question: Why are you coming? What has changed? Just 3 years ago it was only 6.000 kids and now it is 90.000. What has changed? Ninetyfive percent of them told the Border Patrol they were coming because they believe they will get amnesty. They believed they will get a permiso. a slip of paper that lets them stay once they get there. When I was in McAllen. I took the time not just to meet with the chief but to meet with a number of Border Patrol agents who spend every day out on the river. up in the air. on horseback. working to secure the borders. I asked the line agents the obvious question: Why are they coming? What has changed? What has caused this humanitarian crisis? Every single Border Patrol agent gave me the exact same answer: They said they are coming because they believe they will get amnesty. In fact. they explained to me. they said: Right now the Border Patrol is not apprehending these kids. When they cross the river. they often have nothing. sometimes just rags on their back after a long. arduous journey where they have been subjected to horrible physical and sexual abuse. but the one thing they almost inevitably have is their documents. And these children immediately look for the first person in uniform they can find. The Border Patrol isnt apprehending them. they are looking for the Border Patrol. because they come to the Border Patrol and hand them their documents because they believe they will get amnesty. they will get a permiso. they will be allowed to stay. If we want to solve this crisis. if we want to stop these children from coming and from being abused. the only way to do so is to end the promise of amnesty. Before the August recess.
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