Overseas, many of them stand ready and willing for their next mission. As many of my colleagues have pointed out today, the National Guard can play a pivotal role in securing americas borders. Weve seen successful guard missions in the past with operations jump start, phoenix, and nimbus. Last year i called on the department to use the National Guard to help secure the border. In may 2013, i offered an amendment in this committee to the Border Security results act, which would ensure that dhs considers Lessons Learned from past National Guard missions on the border. Both the current and previous administrations have used the National Guard on more of a shortterm ad hoc basis rather than on any longterm, strategic plan. Secretary johnson, wouldnt it be beneficial for the department to partner with the National Guard and develop a longterm strategy for the guard to assist along the borders . And wouldnt it be the borders would be more secure if we had a wellplanned, budgeted strategy that consistently used the guard members rather than just using them sporadically . Congressman, first of all, i want to consider every option to deal with this circumstance. I take no lawful option off the table. As im sure you know, the guard has limitations, including a guard cant be involved directly in Law Enforcement. There are some exceptions to that. And the department of defense obviously has a lot to say about this too. Its their resource. It comes out of their budget. There are a lot of demands on the guard, particularly in this season. Were dealing with Hurricane Season. There may be different crises they respond to. But ive heard the calls from some that we put the guard on the border. Id want to understand better what the options are for the use of the guard depending on the direction of this situation talks. But i dont take any option off the table. But there are definitely some limitations on the use of the guard in this respect, i think, and we have to be mindful of those. Mr. Vitiello, youve been with the Border Protection for a while. Were you a part of any of these guard missions in the past . Can you comment on whether theres pros and cons . So, yes, weve had a great relationship over the years with the National Guard and operation jump start and the ongoing operation fay lynx now in which we use National Guard resources to do things like surveillance and sensor monitoring for us. Its not without its challenges. We were blessed to have the guard when we were building the new 6,000 agents. It gave us a bridge to more capability on the ground. We learned from them and the resources that were reusing from d. O. D. As they come back from theater and are pressed into service for Border Security. So weve learned a lot from them in all manner with regard to plans, strategic deployment, et cetera. But having the guard on the border has some limitations. This work is best done by Law Enforcement agents, in my opinion. Learning from the guard, there are some things that they can do. I think the secretary is right to keep our options open. But as it relates to this particular problem, where its most acute in the Rio Grande Valley, its not a challenge to arrest people who come as children or families with children. The other zones along the southwest border and in south texas are well patrolled and are either better equipped than they were last year or just as well equipped as they were last year. All right. Well, i think originally when i last year it was suggesting the amendment was to ask dhs to study the Lessons Learned. It was to look at it. Dont take any option off the table. But with the guards basically sustaining combat missions, humanitarian missions the past 12 years, theyve proven they can multitask and do numerous things. I still believe its much more Cost Effective and efficient to surge the guard to the border, get the operational control, and work them into your plan. Theyre going to train somewhere every year. And you could rotate them in, rotate them out. Fix the issues, figure out what they could do. To congressman clarkes issue, we dont want kids walking across the border and being met with guns. But theres probably other agencies, nonprofit or federal groups, that could be out there. But our borders are dangerous. People are we dont have control over our borders. We dont know whats coming across. But we do know theres drug cartels, gun running, theres drugs. That would be another mission. It could be an escort mission. It could be a rove and patrol. It could be communications. It could be providing the necessary assistance. Because i dont think it would be wise to expand the fulltime employees of the Border Protection agency. I dont think the American People want to see more federal Law Enforcement agencies when they have this tool, this costeffective tool at its fingertips. I just want to urge, mr. Secretary, to really consider this. I know every member of the National Guard that i serve with would love the opportunity to secure our borders. The American People want to know that our borders are secured and that were safe and sound. So thank you for being here today. Chair now recognized mr. Barber from arizona. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank you for convening this hearing on this very important issue, this crisis that were facing on our borders, particularly in texas and arizona. Thank you, mr. Secretary, and the other witnesses for being with us this morning. My state is directly affected by the influx of these children from Central America. We have the Border Patrol station in my neighboring district, but nevertheless, the impact is felt throughout southern arizona. I share the concern of many of my colleagues. Virtually all of us have either Young Children or grandchildren, and we can imagine what it must be like for these children to be in a strange environment without their family members. And i just want to say that ive seen what our Border Patrol agents are doing, and theyre doing a noble job trying to keep up with a very difficult situation. The cartels are exploiting the situation in many ways. I want to get to a question about that in a moment. Im very concerned about the influx and what implications it has, mr. Tesecretary, for the security of the border. I represent one of nine border districts, 83 miles of border. The people i represent, particularly those who live and work along the border, are concerned about their safety. The concern theyve expressed to me is as Border Patrol agents have been pulled into the nogalis station in particular to care for these children, weve compromised their ability to secure the border and keep people safe. Right now we have about 1200 kids, i believe, at the nogalis community. Theyve been moved from the Border Patrol station into a warehouse where theyre trying to accommodate the need. And weve estimated that maybe 60,000 unaccompanied minors will be coming and be apprehended this year. As i said before, the Border Patrol agents, many of whom have family members that have children, have been bringing in books, have been bringing in toys, bringing in diapers, caring for these children. Clearly this is not their job, but this is what theyre doing. First of all, how many unaccompanied minors are still in cvb custody as we speak . And how many of them are in custody in the tucson sector . Let me start with that question and ill move on to two others. Well, first of all, im going to nogalis tomorrow to inspect the situation there. And one of the things ill be asking is the question you asked. Are we having to divert Border Patrol personnel from their Border Patrol duties . Its very important to me that we minimize the circumstances of that. The capacity at nogalis, i think, is about 1200. Its near capacity with unaccompanied children. We were at one point sending family units there. Were not. Were just sending the unaccompanied children there. From that point, they go to hhs custody. Overall, children apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley sector that are in custody right now, i dont have the number offhand. Its probably i dont have the number offhand. I wouldnt want to hazard to guess, but i can get that to you. Very good. I appreciate the fact youre going to be asking about the impact that the agents being asked to come to nogalis to staff up for these children, what effect thats having on Border Security. Ive been in touch with people who live and work along the border, ranchers and, in fact, heard from some agents about the fact theyve been pulled off shifts, that we have less agents on the ground that are helping to secure the border. So mr. Secretary, if you could get back to us with some information about how many have been pulled and what the impact is. And let me just close with this one question. Its a common question. Ive been particularly discouraged by the fact that virtually nobody in arizona knew that these children were coming. I found out about it through the newspaper, the local sheriff found out about it the same way. Even the sector chief found out about it as the children were arriving. What steps is the Department Taking to make sure that if we have any additional transfers like this, that local authorities and officials are properly notified . Well, first of all, it shouldnt have happened that way. The congressional delegation, local officials should have gotten notice that this situation necessitated that we extend our processing to nogalis. Ive instructed my staff that when we have to go to these places, we give the congressional delegation and local officials advance information about that. Thank you, mr. Secretary. And thank you for what youre doing to keep up with this terrible situation. And i particularly want to thank our Border Patrol agents for what theyre doing every day. I yield back. Chair recognizes ms. Brooks from indiana. Thank you. And thank you again, mr. Chairman, for holding this very important hearing. Thank you all for your service. My question i want to follow up on the smuggling questions and actually to chief vitiello. Could you please talk with us a little bit about Additional Resources that are being provided to you all to prosecute the smugglers, and has there been an increase in prosecutions of smugglers in the last six months . I would have to get back to you for specifics on prosecution cases in the last six months, but we have surged our own resources to develop leads for case work to understand what we know or what we can know more about alien Smuggling Networks. I. C. E. Has also surged resources at this problem for the same purpose, for them to increase their level of case work looking at Smuggling Networks and just to the point as it relates to Border Patrol resources, the Nogales Placement Center is being conducted on agent overtime. Weve added overtime in all of the locations that have helped us process folks, whether it be nogales or el paso and certainly in the Rio Grande Valley. So smuggling operations have been going on for years and years. This is in the new. Im a former u. S. Attorney in the bush administration. We did smuggling cases. But this is unprecedented levels is what it seems, obviously with children. What are the smuggling operations . What is your intelligence telling you . What kind of groups . Is it ms13 . Is it barrio 18 . Is it the gangs that have developed smuggling organizations, and is that really whats bringing these groups . I think that over the years, over the last several years, the sophistication of Smuggling Networks and their connectivity to cartels has been a concern for quite some time. The work that we have from the field intelligence reports that have been generated to our office suggest that people contract smugglers both in their point of origin. Sometimes they wait until theyre in mexico. Sometimes they wait until theyre at the border. But thats the kind of thing that we recognize. Postarrest interviews give us information. We look for indications for intelligence in things like pocket trash, develop phone numbe numbers, and pass those leads in the local sense to the inner agency and certainly to Homeland Security investigations to follow up and try to attack those networks as they bring folks in. Do you have any idea from the young people that youve interviewed how many kids have died . I dont have any direct information about that. Do we have any information about any children who have died or are missing . Not specifically. I mean, i think that, you know, we recognize that this journey is a very difficult one. Certainly at the border over the years weve seen people fail in their attempt by succumbing to the elements. And mr. Secretary, as youve indicated, there is a Public Relations campaign that you initiated. Are we talking about increasing prosecutions of smugglers in Central America so that we can create that deterrent effect and let people know they are being prosecuted, what the penalties are, and that were actually catching any of the smugglers, if we are . And maybe if we, in our Law Enforcement resources, working with the mexican authorities are not being successful in our smuggling prosecutions, im curious whether or not were talking about that. The answer is yes. Id like to add to what the deputy chief said. Homeland security investigations, which is part of i. C. E. , has been surging resources to deal with the smuggling organizations. In the month of may, they made Something Like 163 arrests of socalled smugglers. Identi ive directed we add resources to that. The department of justice is also adding resources to this effort. I think the key is the money trail. Because the money trail often originates in the United States. So if we can track the money, we can stop the flow of money that goes to pay these organizations to smuggle the kids, we go a long way to dealing with this problem. And are you publicizing the prosecution of 160 individuals, which i would commend you, for the month of may in central ameri america, you know, letting everybody know who has been arrested and what has happened . Its in our interest to do that, yes. And i have grave concern that the groups like ms13, which are growing in this country, are bringing these kids in who now owe ms13. Would that be correct . They owe them a bit of debt for bringing them into this country. Is that fair to say, chief vitiello . It is often the case that people contract with smugglers without a payment up front. And so that is a concern. And so now these young people are coming into our communities owing the gangs some debt. Would that be correct . Its important for us to know whos responsible for this smuggling and recognize where the networks are in all three countries. I certainly hope we keep track of them in our country. Thank you. I yield back. So the gentle ladys point, this committee will be introducing an antismuggling bill in the future. Mr. Sanford is recognized. Yes, sir. Mr. Vitiello, thank you for your testimony. Mr. Fugate, youve been incredibly patient during this testimony. A lot of questions havent been directed towards you. Given the fact we are in Hurricane Season and i am from the coast, ill be calling. And to you, mr. Secretary, im a huge fan. You know, the things youve done in the United States military are just incredible. Ive been watching you over the last couple hours during testimony. I wrote down, bearing of a military office, verbal dexterity of a philadelphia lawyer, and preciseness of a ceo. So im a big fan. But in the few minutes i have, im going to ask a couple fairly pointed questions. Id ask you answer them as qu k quickly as possible. All with the caveat of im a big fan. Fair enough . Okay. Yes, sir. Here it comes. You know, going back to being a lieutenant way back when, it just strikes me that, you know, as you guys set up a perimeter in the military, it is not a conditional perimeter. Its not contingent on what mexico might do or pakistan might do. It is an absolute perimeter. I think one of the things the American Public is thirsing for is the same kind of decisiveness and reality they see in the military in a perimeter that isnt breached on the southern border. Why cant we have that in short form . Well, first of all, you have to realize these kids probably want to get caught. In some cases, as well, not want to. Theyre running to officers. They will run to the nearest officer and say, here i am. Right. So you have to ask, you know, will it increase border presence deter that . I guess let me rephrase it. I only have a couple minutes. Should we have a border that is in essence conditional . Because part of the testimony was based on what we might get mexico to do, what we might not get mexico to do, or what we might get guatemala to do. Shouldnt it be at least a goalpost an absolute rather than conditional border . We knead to have secure borders, absolutely, if thats your question. We need secure borders. So one of the things that ive tried to do here in my testimony is lay out all the th