Jen Psaki says migrant children surge is 'heartbreaking,' brings difficult choices for Biden

[DonViejo]

Source: USA Today


Rebecca Morin
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House is facing "really difficult choices" on how to address the surge of undocumented migrant children coming to the United States.

"It's incredibly difficult and quite an emotional issue for many of us in the White House, whether you're a parent or not, or just watching these stories and hearing these reports," Psaki said during an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

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

Psaki said that thousands of children are crossing the U.S. southern border because "this administration did not feel that it was humane or moral to send kids back... on the treacherous journey back to countries where they were fleeing persecution, where they were fleeing really difficult circumstances."


Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/09/psaki-white-house-faces-difficult-choices-surge-migrant-kids/4641357001

[Steelrolled]

1. This problem makes getting out of Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. look easy. nt

[inwiththenew]

2. There is no easy answer

You can't just turn them loose because they are kids. You also have to do the best you can to verify the adults who claim them because you don't want to turn them over to human traffickers.

[Baked Potato]

3. America elected Democrats to handle immigration. I'm trusting them to act humanely.

[Polybius]

4. I think America elected Democrats to better handle Covid

And to get nutcase Trump out of office.

[Baked Potato]

5. That, too. I was being specific to the OP.

Republicans are going to make “immigration” THE issue in upcoming elections. The racial component of the problem will be a perfect fit for electioneering for them.

[AZProgressive]

11. On Social Media

There were people using kids in cages to shame people into voting for Biden.

One reason why I voted to remove Trump from office is because of his immigration policies. I'm glad Biden reversed the Muslim travel ban but we need comprehensive immigration reform.

[Marthe48]

6. Keep in mind

That the Biden admin. has people trying to track down adults that the children are related to. They aren't separating children from their families, are they. I heard the children are arriving on their own, hoping for a more lenient policy from Biden. You have to soften the hearts of Americans at large.

We need to do a better job of housing them in safe and comfortable facilities. I heard a CBS radio news report that a 15 year old girl was united with her Mom, who has been here, sounds like for some time, on a work permit. The daughter said she was held for over 3 wks. in American custody and had to sleep on the floor with an aluminum blanket. That needs to change. Maybe the pillow guy can make cots

[MichMan]

7. Why are they able to be detained longer than three days?

If the law prohibits it?

[Jedi Guy]

8. Probably because there's nowhere else for them to go that quickly.

This is a huge logistical challenge, to say the least.

[Steelrolled]

9. People can't perform magic no matter how many laws

or judicial orders there are. The people running the system have to make local decisions on what to do, while ensuring they CYA.

[Calista241]

12. What are they supposed to do with a random 10 year old that shows up at the border by themselves?

How many foster families are there in Texas or Southern California that would take these kids in? Thousands of these kids are at the border. There simply aren’t the facilities to take them in.

[taxi]

10. These are the kids from all over that were held in camps at the border?

These are the kids from all over that were held in camps at the border? The same freedom lovers that kept them locked up are now asking why they [the prisoners] were let go.