Author: The Frontier Post

WASHINGTON (Axios): A Customs and Border Protection staffer told top administration officials Thursday the agency is projecting a peak of 13,000 unaccompanied children crossing the border in May, sources directly familiar with the discussion told Axios.

Why it matters: That projection would exceed the height of the 2019 crisis, which led to the infamous “kids-in-cages” disaster. It also underscores a rapidly escalating crisis for the Biden administration.

“We’re seeing the highest February numbers than we’ve ever seen in the history of the [Unaccompanied Alien Child] program,” a Department of Health and Human Services official told Axios.

What to watch: The administration is already preparing to quickly expand its network of migrant-child shelters, which have had their capacity sharply reduced because of coronavirus protocols.

The scandal-ridden shelter in Homestead, Florida, is expected to be opened in April, according to a source familiar with the call. CBP chief of staff Lise Clavel provided the border-crossing projection.

HHS, which oversees the child shelter network, is talking with the Pentagon about finding additional overflow sites, which often resemble big tents. Military bases were used during the 2014 and 2019 crises as additional temporary facilities.

Officials discussed the importance of addressing so-called “push factors” in Central American countries — things causing migrants to flee. President Biden has long supported plans to invest in those nations as a way to stem the flow of migrants.

There was no discussion of U.S.-based policies or practices that would work to deter migrants, such as reinstating the use of an emergency public health order to quickly deport migrant kids. Deterrent strategies were preferred by the Trump administration.

Background: The National Security Council hosts frequent calls about a range of topics. Thursday’s 1 p.m. call focused on the growing number of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. It included several senior-level officials at HHS, Homeland Security, State and other departments.

Overall, the tone was not frantic. Despite the Trump administration’s frequent mishandling of migrant families and children, it managed to establish processes for expanding shelter space when border numbers increased — providing a blueprint for the current administration.

However, Jonathan White, a top HHS career official, expressed more concern about the sheer volume of expected migrants combined with space-limiting coronavirus protocols. Those factors could force kids to wait in unfit CBP holding cells.

White had warned the Trump administration early on about the harm the family separation policy would cause for child migrants.

It’s not the only sign of the new administration buckling up.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief of staff told officials this month, “We need to prepare for border surges now,” according to an internal email obtained by Axios but first reported by the Washington Times.

WASHINGTON (Axios): The Senate parliamentarian ruled Thursday that the provision to increase the minimum wage to $15/hour cannot be included in the broader $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

Why it matters: It’s now very likely that any increase in the minimum wage will need bipartisan support, as the provision cannot be passed with the simple Senate majority that Democrats are aiming to use for President Biden’s rescue bill.

Between the lines: The process, called “reconciliation,” allows any bill in which each provision affects the federal government’s finances to be voted on by a 51-vote majority, as opposed to the regular 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

The provision cannot be “merely incidental” to the government’s finances, according to a statute known as the Byrd rule. The interpretation of this vague requirement was up to the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, to decide.

What they’re saying: “We are deeply disappointed in this decision,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the Thursday evening decision.

“We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers and their families,” he added.

“The American people deserve it, and we are committed to making it a reality.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement late Thursday that “House Democrats believe that the minimum wage hike is necessary. Therefore, this provision will remain in the American Rescue Plan on the Floor tomorrow.”

She added, “Democrats in the House are determined to pursue every possible path in the Fight For 15.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden was “disappointed” in the outcome, but “respects the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate’s process.”

Biden “will work with leaders in Congress to determine the best path forward because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty,” Psaki added.

What’s next: Biden has promised to support a standalone bill to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour, but it’s unlikely to get any Republican support.

The other side: Republicans have introduced their own versions of bills to increase the minimum wage.

Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) proposed an increase to $10/hour by 2025. This bill, however, contains a provision that would mandate E-Verify for all employers to ensure the rising wages go to “legally authorized workers,” which likely would not get any Democratic support.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced an alternative to the Democrats’ proposal that would use federal dollars to increase low-earning workers’ income. One foreseeable problem: the subsidy would disproportionally benefit those in states that have kept their minimum wages low.