Ryan Zinke ups response to caravan after arrests surge by 4,000 percent

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Friday he is enlisting up to 4,000 agents to help law enforcement cope with the Central American caravan approaching the U.S.-Mexico border.

Zinke made the announcement as part of a new Interior report showing the department’s law enforcement arm recently increased arrests of illegal immigrants by almost 4,000 percent.

Zinke said the report’s findings show there is a “big problem” on the southern border, and Interior will add agents in response to the caravan of migrants from Central America currently headed north through Mexico.

“We will increase our presence on the border in targeted regions and provide additional assistance to teams deploying in response to the oncoming caravan,” Zinke said in a statement.

“The fact that we were able to increase arrests by almost 4,000 percent is undeniable proof that there’s a big problem,” Zinke added. “Under the previous administration, Interior’s borderlands were basically an open door for illegal activity; and, what few law enforcement officers were down there were left unprotected and without the resources and backup needed to keep communities and themselves safe.”

The report findings were part of the Zinke’s Border Support Surge Initiative launched in May, which sought to level Interior’s federal reach with local law enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol agents to “patrol and protect the border with Mexico.”

Interior has nearly 4,000 federal law enforcement officers, and the May initiative marked the first time Zinke’s forces have mobilized in that way.

The announcement comes as Zinke faces a Justice Department probe on whether he used his position for personal gain — with the cabinet secretary denying allegations.

Trump said Friday that he was looking into the accusations, but would not be asking Zinke to step down.

“No,” Trump told reporters in responding to questions on whether he would fire Zinke. “I’m going to look into any complaints,” he added.

Reports Thursday said Zinke has been looking for a new job, possibly as a Fox News contributor, which the agency denied.

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