Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Tuesday that the Trump administration is treating the immigration crisis as a “Cat 5 hurricane disaster.”
“We are bringing all of the agencies together; we’re asking everybody to chip in,” Nielsen said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“Why wouldn’t we put the U.S. military along our border if it’s really a crisis of that magnitude?” Carlson asked Secretary Nielsen.
TRUMP STANDS BY BORDER CLOSURE THREAT
“I think we’re looking into that. We’ve made the request. I’m in constant contact with the acting secretary of defense. I talked to some of the combatant commanders today. We are in fact pushing more and more military resources to the border,” Nielsen said.
President Trump threatened to close the border this week, prompting outrage from Democrats, and he called on Mexico to help prevent illegal immigration by using its own “strong” immigration laws.
The president also shut down aid to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
“We are in fact pushing more and more military resources to the border.”
“We’re going to have a strong border, or we’re going to have a closed border,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Carlson also pressed Nielsen on whether Trump would consider expanding the E-Verify system to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants, or sign an order eliminating “birthright” citizenship.
CAL THOMAS: IF NOT AN EMERGENCY, WHAT IS IT?
Nielsen made it clear everything was being considered.
“We have to stop the drugs. We have to stop the smuggling and trafficking gangs. He’s very serious about it, so yes, I think everything is on the table,” Nielsen said.
