Border chief asks House panel to boost migrant processing

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told House Republicans on Wednesday that his agency needs more technology and resources, as the number of migrants arriving at the southwest border “places tremendous strain” on the system.

Testifying at the House Homeland Security Committee’s field hearing in south Texas — which committee Democrats boycotted — Ortiz said that the current flow of migrants to the U.S-Mexico border “represents challenges, and in some areas, a crisis situation.”

“Now, unlike in previous surges, we are seeing traffic including large groups, spread across multiple locations, instead of just one or two specific sectors,” Ortiz said. “This places tremendous strain on Border Patrol resources and our operational posture.”

The Border Patrol chief, who has served in leadership roles at the agency under both the Obama and Trump administrations, specifically requested more funds to hire employees who focus on processing migrants into the country.

The U.S. has seen record-high levels of migration in the last year, though the number of migrants encountered has dipped in January and February.