Rep. Will Hurd of Texas said Friday the federal government would be better off investing its resources in addressing the “humanitarian crisis” along the southern border than conducting deportation sweeps.
“I ultimately believe you should have a valid reason for being in this country, and we should be using our resources in the most efficient way possible, and right now I think that is along the border,” Mr. Hurd, a Republican, said on CNN.
Mr. Hurd said the problem right now is that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services don’t have the resources to process the claims of migrants trying to enter the country along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“That has turned border patrol into being in the detention game,” Mr. Hurd said. “That is not what they are designed for, and so if we alleviate that bottleneck with ICE, that will make sure we don’t have people in facilities that really shouldn’t be in those facilities.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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