Nikki Haley warns illegal immigration hitting ‘crisis levels,’ amid Biden moves

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'Very dangerous situation' at border as Biden admin implements immigration agenda: Wolf

Former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf sounds the alarm after 11 Iranians are arrested crossing the border in Arizona.

Nikki Haley on Wednesday warned that illegal immigration is hitting "crisis levels" in the wake of a number of reversals of key Trump-era policies by President Joe Biden -- with the former U.N. ambassador arguing that the U.S. needs to take care of "Americans first."

"Biden reinstituted Obama’s catch and release policy releasing illegal immigrants  back into the US. Illegal immigration has hit crisis levels overwhelming Border Patrol facilities & maxing out community resources like COVID tests," Haley tweeted. "We should be taking care of our Americans first."

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S CBP REVIVES 'CATCH AND RELEASE' POLICY AT BORDER AMID COVID CONCERNS 

Last week, President Biden signed immigration-related executive orders, which included revoking then-President Trump’s order ending the so-called "catch and release" policy.

He has also signed immigration orders that end the building of the wall at the southern border, end Trump-era travel bans and order a review of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP.) His administration has also sought to impose a 100-day pause on deportations.

That is coinciding with a surge at the border which is forcing the agency in parts of Texas to release immigrants into the U.S. for the first time since 2019.

Customs and Border Protection has told Fox News three factors led to the decision to release illegal immigrant families: an increase of migrant traffic, specifically families from Central America and unaccompanied children; Mexico's refusal to accept additional families with children under age 12 in areas where migrants camps grow increasingly large, overwhelming the shelter and services; and COVID-19, which has severely reduced Border Patrol detention and transport capacity.

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The U.S. also said it would add 700 beds for unaccompanied minors at a shelter in Carizzo Springs, Texas, along with 500 additional beds at a processing facility in Donna, also in Texas.

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Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the crisis. More than 50 Republicans on Thursday wrote to Biden, saying sources on the ground have told them that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have seen the average daily flow of migrants at the border surge to more than 3,500 a day from 2,000 last month. 

Haley too has hit Biden for his stance on illegal immigration, recently accusing him of "spending more money protecting the Capitol from Americans than he is protecting the borders from illegal immigrants."

Fox News' William LaJeunesse contributed to this report.