CNSNews.com) – Members of the Congressional Border Security Caucus visited the Rio Grande Valley, Texas sector of the U.S.-Mexico border last week and issued a press release expressing concern about border insecurity, the continued influx of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and families, and policies put in place by the Obama administration that hinder Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and encourage illegal immigration. “To be here and see firsthand, to talk to the agents face-to-face, it is clear the administration is not giving agents the tools they need to do their job effectively and safely,” said Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) The number of family units (family unit represents the number of individuals -- either a child under 18 years old, parent or legal guardian -- apprehended with a family member by CBP) increased 171 percent in fiscal year 2016 compared to the same period in fiscal year 2015 – 9,090 to 24,616 respectively.

At a hearing Thursday of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, testified that drug cartels responsible for the human trafficking of persons entering the country illegally have taken advantage of the Obama administration’s immigration policies.

“The cartels understood that the unaccompanied minors would force the Border Patrol to deploy agents to these crossing areas in order to take the minors into custody,” Judd said in his prepared remarks. “I want to stress this point because it has been completely overlooked by the press.

“The unaccompanied minors could have walked right up to the Port of Entry and asked for asylum,” Judd said.

“Why did the cartels drive them to the middle of the desert and then have them cross over the Rio Grande only to surrender to the first Border Patrol Agent they came across? The reason is that it completely tied up our manpower and allowed the cartels to smuggle whatever they wanted across our border,” Judd said.

“The creating of holes in Border Patrol operations was only one benefit to the cartels by the unaccompanied minor surge,” Judd said. “The other was the exploration of our ‘catch and release’ policy.

“As this surge became too much to handle, the Border Patrol and the Enforcement and Removal Office began releasing nearly everyone we arrested,” Judd said.

“With catch and release, the cartels could credibly say to potential customers that they would be able to remain in the United States without fear of deportation as long as they asked for asylum upon being apprehended,” Judd said.

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) said Obama’s immigration policies aren’t just affecting border states like Texas.

“We’ve known all along that our border was not secure and that the Obama Administration’s immigration policies were failing to uphold the rule of law,” Black said. “Now, I have seen the impact of that with my own eyes.

“Tennessee may not be a border state, but President Obama’s unwillingness to combat the crisis of illegal immigration is felt throughout the country, including in states like my own,” Black said.

Man he is trying to take this country down in so many ways have you seen the 2017 budget he is trying to push through? 4.32 trillion dollars and will raise taxes by 2.6 trillion over the next decade...I am sure he will get it all done cause the limp wrist republicans in congress will just lay down like a pup and let him do what ever he wants...

No they wont approve that budget. Even his own press are saying it has zero chance of passing. The guys a phuckin clown. Cannot wait until hes out of office the traitorous POS

it's gonna take that much plus more to feed and house all his immigrants

Watch for bad things to happen in October to keep him in the White House.

I'm ashamed to say he is the leader of my country.

I and most everyone I know have been thinking the same thing Wiley, he may not be a dictator but he will do till one comes along!!

Real bad things

I sure hope not!!!