Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sounded a clear note Monday to unaccompanied minors headed for the border, declaring they could come to the United States.
“We are not expelling young children,” he said. “We are not apprehending a nine-year-old child who’s come alone, who’s traversed Mexico, who’s parents, who’s loving parents, had sent that child alone.”
Mayorkas appeared at the White House press briefing Monday afternoon to answer questions about President Joe Biden’s approach to handling the increasing flow of unattended child migrants coming to the United States from the southern border.
Mayorkas said Customs and Border Patrol would continue to apprehend unattended children at the border and work quickly to get them transferred to a facility operated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Under HHS, he said, a child would get health care, mental health care, and would get released to an adult sponsor “as soon as possible.”
“We are taking a look at where efficiencies can be achieved in the best interest of the child,” he said.
Mayorkas bristled at a reporter’s question accusing him of using the same process for unattended minors that the Trump administration did.
“That is absolutely inaccurate,” he said. “The Trump administration expelled children to Mexico.”
Mayorkas even suggested migrants come to the United States in the future.
“We are not saying, don’t come,” he said. “We are saying don’t come now because we will be able to deliver a safe and orderly process to them as quickly as possible.”