White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to confirm how many unaccompanied alien children are currently being held in border detention facilities amid a massive wave of illegal immigration, saying the White House isn't responsible for those numbers because it's "not our program."
"There are reports out there that the number of unaccompanied migrants detained at the border has tripled in the last two weeks to 3,200 plus. Is that number accurate?" a reporter asked during the briefing Tuesday.
"I’m not going to confirm numbers from here," Psaki said. "Obviously the Department of Homeland Security and others oversee the programs and the engagements that happen at the border."
Psaki then rambled on for several moments about how administrative policy changes combined with poverty, violence, natural disasters and COVID-19 are all factors driving migrants from Central American countries to the Southwest U.S. border.
“Why won’t you confirm that number? That’s a very important number,” the reporter asked.
"We’ve been very clear that there is an increase, that there are more children coming across the border than we have facilities for at this point in time," Psaki responded. "Those numbers are tracked by [DHS]. So I'm just suggesting that you talk to them about the specifics."
"We’ve talked to them. They won’t confirm the numbers," the reporter explained.
"Then I would encourage you to go back to them and ask them again. We’re not going to confirm them from the White House. It’s not our program," Psaki said.
REPORTER: "The number of migrants detained has tripled... Is that accurate?"
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 9, 2021
PSAKI: "Those numbers are tracked by DHS. I'm just suggesting that you talk to them..."
REPORTER: "We talked to them... They won't confirm the numbers."
PSAKI: "Ask them again... It's not our program" pic.twitter.com/4MQy2X9RgX
Except it IS the White House’s program, in every single way. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Health and Human Services all fall within the purview of the Executive Branch, making every department and agency that deals with migrants and migrant children directly accountable to the President of the United States. Furthermore, Psaki has repeatedly admitted that the policies currently driving the massive migrant surge are the Biden administration’s policies, changed under President Joe Biden’s direction and issued to these departments and agencies via Executive Order from the Oval Office – which is in the White House.
Everything about this is the White House’s issue, from the paper the orders were written on to the border detention facilities and immigration agents now struggling to deal with the consequences of them. Meaning the fact that Psaki is declining to confirm the massive wave of illegal immigration now ramping up at the border isn't because she doesn't have the numbers - they just don't want the American people to know about them.