Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the Trump administration is treating immigration threats, such as repeat migrant caravans along the U.S.-Mexico border, as a “Cat 5 hurricane disaster.”
“We are bringing all of the agencies together. We’re asking everybody to chip in,” Nielsen told Fox News Tuesday night, adding that DHS is looking at sending troops to the border and providing more military resources.
This week, President Trump threatened to close the border between the U.S. and Mexico and urged Mexico to help stop the flow of illegal immigration crossings.
“We’re going to have a strong border, or we’re going to have a closed border,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Nielsen confirmed that the Trump administration was also serious about considering using the E-Verify system, which shows if employees are eligible to work legally in the U.S., to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants.
“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.
Earlier this year, Trump declared a national emergency due to what he called the crisis at the southern border.
