This week, at a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, I spoke with acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan about the state of unaccompanied minors at the border, the hardships they face getting to the border and the possibility of being kidnapped and sold by the cartels.

Acting Secretary McAleenan confirmed that it is border patrol’s duty to make sure children are reunited with their parents. He also made it clear that the cartels in Mexico advertise bringing children to the U.S. border because it increases your chances of staying in America, even if the child is not your own. They will go as far as kidnapping children in order to sell or rent them to illegal border crossers.

As you may know, I have made two trips to our Southern border this year in Arizona and Texas. In Texas, I toured an unaccompanied minor facility for girls under the age of 18 who came to our border without an adult. Contrary to what some Democratic Congresswomen have said, the facility I saw was much more akin to a boarding school than a prison. I met a classroom full of young girls, about half of whom were from Guatemala, who were all sitting in their desks learning, well-clothed, healthy and smiling. Their advisor informed me that each girl is given a medical examination upon their arrival and three meals per day with two snacks in between. They even told me that, after their arduous journey through Mexico under control of the cartels, some of the girls were not use to having so much food in one day.

The crisis at the border starts with the criminal behavior of the cartels, not our border agents or the conditions of our facilities. The problem on our side of the border is that our agents are severely underfunded and ill-equipped with the technology needed to properly secure the border.

To watch the video of my questioning, please click the picture below.