OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Congressman Bacon mentioned maybe a dozen times that there absolutely is a crisis at the border, saying we're on the path for 1.5 million people to cross the border illegally, or seek asylum.
To help with this, Rep. Bacon says the country needs resources down south.
"This is a crisis, and we got to something better, Congress is responsible for this,” says Bacon
The congressman came back home wanting congress to act on a number of things, including changing how the asylum process works.
He says right now somebody seeking asylum doesn't get a hearing for six months.
"My goal is to try and compress that, and try to get it done faster, this gap has led to dysfunction and it's not working,” says Bacon.
To make that happen he would like to see more judges added, but he also says border agents are overwhelmed.
He wants to add more, because he says the large majority are working in the detention facilities, not the border.
"Only 10 percent are securing our border, and that makes us more vulnerable to folks coming in with narcotics and other bad things, we have to provide more support to the border patrol at these facilities,” says Bacon.
Now some money is already coming, controversially. President Trump has re-allocated $3.6 billion for military projects, to go to a targeted border wall.
Bacon says Democrats in the house refused to make a deal leaving President Trump with few options.
"I don't think there's another choice when Congress is unable to compromise.”
"So let me just tell you, I don't like it but I don't think there's another alternative when you're the president and you're trying to secure the southern border,” says Bacon.
That money taken out for military projects does not come out of Offutt Air Force base renovations.
Bacon says things are getting better. Kids are no longer being separated from their parents. They’re only separated if it’s proven on DNA test that the kids are not the actual children of the parents.
Mexico is also helping on their side slow down border crossings, by adding troops of their own.
