Influx of illegal immigrant children leaving the border vulnerable

Influx of children leaving border vulnerable?

Patrol agent says 70 percent of his officers are being pulled from border security duties to help deal with influx of illegal immigrant children

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," July 2, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Now this disturbing news from Border Patrol agents who see this crisis first hand every single day. They say about 70 percent of Texas agents, 70 percent, are no longer patrolling the border. Instead, that 70 percent are assigned to taking care of the immigrants.

Border Patrol Agent Hector Garza joins us. Good evening, sir.

HECTOR GARZA, BORDER PATROL AGENT (VIA PHONE): Good evening.

VAN SUSTEREN: 70 percent are not guarding the border but taking care of the immigrants. What does that mean? I know they have been assigned administrative duties. What is that?

GARZA: What it means is we have a serious border security crisis on our borders. It means that our agents are being pulled from doing their job, which is apprehending dangerous criminals. Now they are being reassigned to process illegal aliens.

VAN SUSTEREN: So what do you actually do? Do you have some job with the children? If you are not walking the border and protecting the border, are you taking care of the children?

GARZA: Yes. What our Border Patrol agents are doing is basically processing illegal aliens, unaccompanied juveniles. They are processing them and feeding them. They are spending time with them, making sure they don't get stressed out in the detention facility.

(CROSSTALK)

GARZA: -- our agents should be stopping --

VAN SUSTEREN: What's the feeling among border agents? Are they contempt to do this or do they think this is the wrong way to do business?

GARZA: Well, our agents are happy to do their job and serve in any capacity. However, our number-one concern as Border Patrol agents is border security. We want to make sure that our borders are secured and that we stop illegal aliens coming into our country and stop the dangerous drugs hurting our communities and families.

VAN SUSTEREN: Does that mean you are not stopping the dangerous drugs? Obviously, if 70 percent are doing something different you are not patrolling the border. Are you concerned dangerous people and drugs are getting over the border that they might not otherwise?

GARZA: We are concerned. We do know that citizen reports have increased in the past few months where they call into our dispatcher and report drugs are being smuggled, illegal aliens being loaded up into vehicles. So we know they are getting away way.

VAN SUSTEREN: But is the problem at this point, like yesterday and today, is it getting bigger, staying the same or is it reducing?

GARZA: It seems that the problem is getting more severe. The yearly averages started about 1100 apprehensions a day. Today, it's about 1500 apprehensions a day. That number is just increasing.

VAN SUSTEREN: Sir, thank you very much. I appreciate you joining us.

GARZA: Thank you for your time.