Texas Gov. Rick Perry says the Obama administration's lax border enforcement policies are to blame for a "surge" in illegal alien children from Mexico and Central America who cross into the U.S. and are immediately eligible for federal benefits.
Such policies are "perpetuating" the increase, according to a letter Perry sent personally to President Barack Obama, Fox News reported.
"There are many consequences of having an unsecure border. Not only are drug seizures up and cartels infiltrating our communities, but, as your administration is fully aware, there is a surge of unaccompanied illegal minors entering the United States," Perry wrote.
"Aside from being part of an obvious humanitarian crisis, these unaccompanied illegal minors have left the federal government scrambling to triage the results of its failed border security and immigration policies," he said. "This is precisely what happens when the federal government refuses to recognize its responsibility for our nation's immigration and border security, and fails to immediately work with the countries of origin to return these unaccompanied illegal minors to their homes."
Perry went onto say that, in a recent conference call, a member of the administration admitted that fewer than 10 percent of of unaccompanied illegal immigrant minors are deported.
"To be clear, Texas has been working diligently to protect the immediate health and safety of our citizens and the unaccompanied minors now in our state. However, by failing to take immediate action to return these minors to their countries of origin and prevent and discourage others from coming here, the federal government is perpetuating the problem," Perry, a one-time Republican presidential contender, wrote.
He said he has instructed his staff to find out the extent of the problem "and seek answers to questions your administration has thus far been either unwilling or unable to answer."
Despite Perry's claim, Fox News said it wasn't clear how many of the minors were actually being deported.
The report said an unnamed Department of Health and Human Resources official admitted that the number of undocumented minors coming under the agency's care was up, but added that "migration patterns, including those of groups such as unaccompanied children, differ during any given year based on a wide variety of factors."
The same official said apprehensions were down 53 percent in fiscal year 2011, compared to fiscal year 2008, "an indication that less individuals are trying to cross the border as a result of a number of factors including increased border security," the official said.
Most minors are sent to a shelter after being placed in HHS care and from there, the report said, some 65 percent are eventually sent to live with sponsors inside the U.S., according to a recent study by the Vera Institute of Justice.
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