Crisis at the Border

Obama-era DHS chief Jeh Johnson says US has a 'crisis' at the southern border - Fox News

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Saturday that America has a "crisis" at the southern border, and that the number of apprehensions exceed anything he encountered during his time serving under Barack Obama.

"By anyone's definition, by any measure, right now we have a crisis at our southern border," he said on "Cavuto LIVE." "According to the commissioner of [Customs and Border Protection], there were 4,000 apprehensions in one day alone this past week, and we're on pace for 100,000 apprehensions on our southern border this month."

"That is by far a greater number than anything I saw on my watch in my three years as Secretary of Homeland Security," he said.

Johnson's remarks come after President Trump this week accused Mexico of doing nothing to stop the illegal immigration flow to the U.S. and threatened to close to southern border next week.

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico doesn't stop the migrant caravans headed for the United States from Central America.

During a visit to Herbert Hoover Dike in Canal Point, Fla., Trump said Mexico has " the strongest immigration laws anywhere in the world," while the U.S. has "the weakest, the most pathetic laws."

"We have right now two big caravans coming up from Guatemala - massive caravan, walking right through Mexico, so Mexico's tough. They can stop them, but they chose not to. Now they're gonna stop them, and if they don't stop them, we're closing the border. We'll close it, and we'll keep it closed for a long time. I'm not playing games," he said.

"Mexico has to stop it. They have people coming right through Mexico. It's a long very dangerous journey. Mexico sends buses. They send trucks," the president said.