A group of migrants arriving from Guatemala disembark from a raft in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. The number of migrants taking rafts at the busy Ciudad Hidalgo crossing point appears to have decreased significantly in recent days amid fears of a pending deployment of the National Guard along the southern border. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
WASHINGTON – The acting head of Customs and Border Protection says passing emergency funding is necessary for the health and well-being of migrants crossing the border.
John Sanders tells The Associated Press that Congress must act swiftly. The funding request passed a Senate committee Wednesday with bipartisan support and will be up for a floor vote next week.
Sanders says Border Patrol stations are not meant for long-term care. He says the death of a teenager in custody last month affected him profoundly.
There have been four other deaths in custody since late last year.
Border officials are overwhelmed by a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. They have opened a tent in Donna, Texas, and are building another in Yuma, Arizona, to help house people.
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