Statement by Secretary Johnson on Increased Influx of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children at the Border

Release Date: 

June 2, 2014

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

As I have seen firsthand and stated repeatedly, addressing the rising flow of unaccompanied children crossing our southwest border is an important priority of this Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It requires a whole of government coordinated and sustained response. 

On the recommendation of myself and others, the President has today directed an inter-agency Unified Coordination Group to address the situation, pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and other authorities. I am appointing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate as the Federal Coordinating Official. In this role, Administrator Fugate will, subject to my oversight, direction and guidance, lead and coordinate Federal response efforts to ensure that Federal agencies are unified in providing relief to the affected children. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will maintain primary responsibility for border security operations at and between ports of entry and, working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provide for the proper care of unaccompanied children when they are temporarily in DHS custody. DHS will continue to coordinate closely with the Departments of Health and Human Services, State, Defense, the General Services Administration and other agencies, to ensure a coordinated and rapid government-wide response in the short-term and to undertake broader, longer-term reforms to address the root cause behind these recent migration trends.

This designation builds on the authorization I made on May 12 to establish a “Level IV” condition of readiness — the highest level of contingency planning within DHS. U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief Vitiello, as part of this authorization, will continue to lead DHS personnel reassigned to assist in processing and caring for unaccompanied children. We will also continue to work closely with the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to counter this recent surge in migrant children. 

We must, and we will, address this situation.

Readout of Secretary Johnson’s Visit to Guatemala

Release Date: 

July 9, 2014

For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010

GUATEMALA CITY— Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson concluded a two-day trip to Guatemala with U.S. Southern Command Commander General John Kelly, Counselor to the Department of State Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy Alan Bersin where he participated in meetings with the Governments of Guatemala and Mexico to discuss issues of mutual concern, including steps to improve the regional response to the influx of adults traveling with children and unaccompanied children across the U.S. southwest border.

While in Guatemala City, Secretary Johnson met with President Otto Fernando Pérez Molina where he expressed his condolences following this week’s earthquake. During the meeting, Secretary Johnson reaffirmed DHS’s commitment to partnering with our Central American counterparts to stem the flow of adults with children and unaccompanied children entering the United States, to address the root causes of the influx, and to expand the capacity of these countries to receive and reintegrate repatriated migrants. Secretary Johnson also highlighted the steps the Administration is taking to improve enforcement and partnering with our Central American counterparts in three key areas: combating gang violence and strengthening citizen security, spurring economic development, and improving capacity to receive and reintegrate returned adults with children and unaccompanied children.

Today, Secretary Johnson met trilaterally for the first time with Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, Guatemalan Minister of Interior Héctor Mauricio López Bonilla, and Mexican Secretary of Interior Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong. The counterparts discussed a cooperative regional strategy and ongoing efforts to secure the Mexican-Guatemalan border. Secretary Johnson reaffirmed the United States’ intent to continue working together with Mexico and Guatemala to take action against networks spreading disinformation about the journey to the United States and the legal process, and to combat and dismantle human smuggling networks. During their meeting, Secretary Johnson reiterated that the long journey is not only dangerous; there are no “permisos,” “permits,” or free passes at the end.

As part of these efforts, today Secretary Johnson and Minister Bonilla also signed two agreements. The first Memorandum of Cooperation and Bilateral Strategic Plan provides a leadership group and framework to guide DHS and Guatemalan cooperation in areas of immigration management, border security, information sharing, and combating transnational organized crime. They also signed the Criminal History Information Sharing Memorandum of Cooperation, which allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations to share criminal conviction data on Guatemalans being returned.   

Secretary Johnson also met with First Lady of Guatemala Rosa Leal de Pérez and representatives from Guatemalan civil society and faith-based organizations, where he praised First Lady Leal de Pérez for her continued efforts to address the humanitarian situation, most notably through the “Quédate” campaign, which warns of the dangers of illegal migration to the United States and supports health and education opportunities that will encourage adults and children to remain in Guatemala. Secretary Johnson highlighted efforts by DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to re-launch the Dangers Awareness Campaign – an aggressive Spanish language outreach effort and an urgent call to action to community groups, the media, parents, and relatives in the U.S. and Central America to communicate the dangers of the journey and the reality that under current U.S. laws and policies, anyone who is apprehended crossing the border illegally is a priority for deportation, regardless of age.

As part of the ongoing U.S. government-wide response to address this humanitarian crisis, the White House yesterday announced its request for emergency supplemental funding that will assist government agencies, including DHS, in four key areas: deterrence actions, enforcement initiatives, foreign cooperation and capacity to detain, care for and transport unaccompanied children.

Over the past few months, CBP has seen a significant increase in the apprehension of unaccompanied children and adults with children from Central America in the Rio Grande Valley area of the southwest border. While overall border apprehensions across our entire border have only slightly increased during this time period and remain at near historic lows, the rise in apprehensions and processing of children in the Rio Grande Valley presents unique operational challenges for DHS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CBP has provided updated apprehension data for the southwest border.

At the direction of President Barack Obama and Secretary Johnson, on June 1, a Unified Coordination Group was established to leverage Federal resources to provide humanitarian relief to the ongoing situation. This includes DHS and all of its components, HHS, the Departments of Defense, Justice, State and the General Services Administration. Secretary Johnson appointed Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate to serve as the Federal Coordinating Official for this U.S. Government-wide effort.

For more information, please visit www.dhs.gov.