As Republican senators mull over whether to back President Trump or vote against his national emergency declaration regarding a crisis on the U.S.-Southern border, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is urging lawmakers to understand that “the current system isn’t working” and “this is an emergency.”
Testifying before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Wednesday, Nielsen said that illegal immigration "is spiraling out of control and threatening public safety and national security."
She asked lawmakers to come to her with any solutions to the issues with the current U.S. immigration system and added that “no rational person would design an immigration system like we have to today."
"I'm happy to meet with anyone who has a suggested solution," said Nielsen. "No rational person would design an immigration system like we have to today."
Her testimony comes a day after U.S. Customs and Border Protection released new statistics for Fiscal Year 2019 showing border apprehensions last month as the highest they have been in over a decade.
CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan in a press conference on the data said that illegal border crossings and subsequent apprehensions maxed out capacity, and that the numbers are only expected to rise per seasonal trends, justifying “both a border security and a humanitarian crisis.”
The House has already voted to reject President Trump's national emergency declaration. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution of disapproval soon.