by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:35 AM ET, Thu May 16, 2019
The Department of Homeland Security is calling on hundreds of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work the southern border of the United States as part of the escalating immigration crisis.
According to CNN, a maximum of 400 TSA officers will be called to the southwest border between the U.S. and Mexico to address the humanitarian and security crisis, with department attorneys and air marshals part of the task force.
The call for TSA employees at the border does not include uniformed airport screeners, which is good news for travelers who feared fewer agents working security checkpoints would result in more time waiting in lines.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said more than 109,000 migrants attempting to cross the border were apprehended or turned away in April, the second month in a row the number topped 100,000.
As a result, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to call on Congress to fix loopholes in immigration law and provide the funding needed to secure the border.
In response, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President Tori Barnes issued the following statement:
"Acknowledging the concerns about the situation on the southern border, we must closely watch the secondary effects of the measures being undertaken to address it-especially disruption to the U.S. economy."
"Further stretching CBP and TSA resources-especially headed into the busiest time of year at our nation's airports and points of entry-clearly could result in turmoil for business and leisure travel that supports millions of livelihoods all across the country."
"Additional funding is essential, but further system-wide reforms are needed to ensure the full functionality of these crucial agencies. We urge the administration and Congress to immediately engage in a thorough and intensive discussion about appropriate resourcing for all of the Department of Homeland Security's vital functions in the face of current challenges."
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