President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kirstjen Nielsen, suggested that the United States should work to help foreign nationals find jobs and better the economies in countries from which illegal aliens primarily come to the U.S.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, Nielsen said one of the major means to deter illegal immigration to the U.S. was to help foreigners find jobs in their native countries, primarily in Central America.
“We have to increase the prosperity there,” Nielsen said. “There’s a variety of programs, you and I have discussed, including the Alliance for Prosperity. But to really help the community find jobs, track the private sector, and enable the community to be resilient in such a way that it in of itself provides the type of environment that citizens would want to stay.”
Nielsen also blamed Americans’ drug crisis as a factor in why illegal aliens enter the U.S.
“I also feel very strongly that our drug demand in this country is also an underlying factor of that push, if you will. We … our drug demand is like no others,” Nielsen said. “Americans unfortunately, we have a higher drug rate — not only death rate – from it, but use of illegal drugs more than any other country.”