More Capacity Needed for Child Immigrants Amid Surge: White House

Smugglers use a raft to transport immigrant families and children across the Rio Grande River into the United States from Mexico in Penitas, Texas, on March 5, 2021. Adrees Latif/Reuters

The White House is working on adding more room to house young immigrants who cross the southern border, after a group of senior officials traveled to the border to speak to staffers and children and see the worsening situation firsthand.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a slew of other Biden administration officials, such as domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, went to southern Texas and toured a Customs and Border Protection facility, along with the newly reopened Carrizo Springs holding facility. No reporters were allowed to accompany the group.