McSally visits soft-sided facility in Yuma

Following the visit of Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan to the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) soft-sided facility in Yuma, Senator Martha McSally (R-Arizona) visited the facility as well.

McSally weighed in during a press conference on the conditions and features she saw inside of the facility that currently houses over 200 migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

“It has increased capacity especially for unaccompanied children,” said McSally. “We saw the area where they are kept until they are processed.”

McSally also spoke about the Secure and Protect Act of 2019 authored and presented by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The bill, which passed the Judiciary Committee last week, would drastically change the conditions and processes at CBP facilities.

With the passing of the Act, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would detain migrant children and migrant families with children for 100 days instead of the current 20 days as set by the Flores Settlement.

McSally referred to this proposed solution as a way to “close the loopholes” that have caused a spike in asylum seekers. The removal proceedings will also be prioritized and asylum cases need to be decided within those 100 days. It also gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the sole discretion to set and determine standards for detention related to migrant children.

“Our legislation actually closes the loopholes that incentivize individuals to take the dangerous journey and to traffic children on that dangerous journey,” said McSally. “Our hope is to bring that to the Senate floor for a vote.”

Other changes would include allowing immediate deportation of unaccompanied minors within 48 hours. Currently, that only applies to children from neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico. It would also set higher standards of proof to seek asylum including making it difficult for those with felonies or prior removals.

The proposed bill would also establish at least four refugee processing centers in Mexico & Central America that would require asylum seekers to apply for asylum at those sites. The number of immigration judges would also be increased by at least 500 as well as the number of support staff, bringing them locally to process said asylum cases.

McSally ended with one message to her colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

“If you’re not for funding border security. If you’re not for closing the loopholes. If you’re not for increasing housing once people are apprehended, then what are you for?” asked McSally. “Are you just for letting anyone cross illegally and letting them go?”