The Department of Homeland Security says illegal border crossings have dropped 70 percent over the past month. The public health order allowing the expulsion of migrants expired May 12.
"The Administration’s plan is working as intended," DHS wrote in a statement. "We are cognizant, however, that the conditions in the hemisphere that are driving unprecedented movements of people are still present and that the cartels and coyotes will continue to spread disinformation about any potential changes to policies at the border in order to put migrants’ lives at risk for profit. We will remain vigilant and continue to execute our plan, making adjustments where needed."
Despite the drop in crossings, Senator John Cornyn says unaccompanied children already in the country are being exploited. During a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, he cited a Reuters report showing 57 migrant children were reported missing in Houston and a New York Times report showing teenagers were forced to work in food processing plants.
"President Biden does not care about the fate of 300,000-plus unaccompanied children who have been placed with sponsors in the United States since he became president," Cornyn said during the meeting this week.
Cornyn said he invited former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and former White House Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice to talk to the committee.
"I'm disappointed they could not be troubled to appear here," he said.
Cornyn said the Biden Administration is failing to stop cartels from profiting from human trafficking.
"They know as long as they can continue to move people across the border into the United States, the Biden Administration will not care, will not take steps to stop it, and we don't know what kind of human misery is being experienced," Cornyn said.
Homeland Security says surges in migration have occurred during both Democratic and Republican administrations.
"It is abundantly clear that executive action cannot solve the entrenched challenge of migration in our region, and that neither party can address its impact on our border by itself. Until and unless Congress comes together in a bipartisan way to address our broken immigration and asylum system, we will continue to see surges in migration at our border," the agency says.
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