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Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told “Fox & Friends” Friday that unless immigration laws are changed the immigration crisis will continue.

Graham’s statements come as the number of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States from Central America and other parts of the world has skyrocketed. Reports over the past several weeks reveal that more than 144,000 people at the southwest border in May, including more than 100,000 family units and children, have crossed. Those numbers, say Department of Homeland Security officials far exceed previous monthly totals this year. .

“If you don’t change the asylum laws and you don’t change the Flores decision, they’ll keep coming forever,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on “Fox & Friends.” The U.S. Custom’s and Border Protection apprehended on average 4,200 people a day last month. There are more than 19,000 people in custody, officials noted.

“Why do we have so many families [crossing the border]? Why do we have so many people from Central America?” Graham asked. “If a small child was brought to the United States from Central America, we can’t send that child back. You can from Mexico and Canada. You’ve got to change that law. If you’ve got a minor child you can only hold them for 20 days. That’s not enough to process the case. So we turn the entire family loose into the country.”

Children are also suffering the dangers of making the long trek from Central and South America. In numerous cases, Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have found children that do not belong to the people who are attempting to come into the country illegally.

On a recent trip to Guatemala, SaraACarter.com interviewed residents of Santa Rosa de Lima, asking about the children from their community and the people who have migrated illegally to the Mexican border with the United States.

“The coyotes tell the people what to say, what to do, it’s dangerous and they charge so much more now than before,” said Carlos Bran, who paid roughly $400 to be trafficked to California 12 years ago by a trafficking organization. I interviewed Bran’s half brother, Jose Manuel who also lived in the town. He worked at a furniture repair shop that hadn’t seen business in months and said roughly 60 percent of the residents have fled.

Manuel noted that traffickers in Central America are well aware of U.S. laws and what is needed to do to skirt the law for the best chances of not getting deported once the illegal migrants enter the United States.

Graham knows those laws are failing the U.S. system and are filled with loopholes that allow the cartels and human traffickers to continue their illicit businesses.

“If you read a card asking for asylum you’re entitled to a hearing,” Graham said.” “It takes three years to get a hearing.”

“We don’t hold people three years. We let them loose into the country — they never show up. I’m going to change the law to say that if you apply for asylum from Central America you have to do it in your own country or Mexico — not here,” said Graham.

FACTS ON ILLEGAL FAMILY UNITS AND APPREHENSIONS

Fiscal Year 2018 is the highest number of family unit apprehensions on record. More than 40% higher than any previous year on record.

The number of family units along the southwest border increased 22% from August to September.

Illegal alien minors or adults traveling with minors who unlawfully enter the United States are rarely detained or removed but released.

Illegal alien minors or adults traveling with minors who unlawfully enter the United States are rarely detained or removed but released. Customs and Border Protection used to primarily apprehend single adults but now CBP has an influx of minors and adults traveling with minors hoping to enter the country by utilizing the loopholes.

Sara Carter’s trip to Guatemala was done in conjunction with the Independent Women’s Forum where she is a visiting fellow.