AP Interview: Border official says aid needed to save lives

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting head of Customs and Border Protection says passing emergency funding is necessary for the health and well-being of migrants crossing the border.

John Sanders tells The Associated Press that Congress must act swiftly. The funding request passed a Senate committee Wednesday with bipartisan support and will be up for a floor vote next week.

Sanders says Border Patrol stations are not meant for long-term care. He says the death of a teenager in custody last month affected him profoundly.

There have been four other deaths in custody since late last year.

Border officials are overwhelmed by a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. They have opened a tent in Donna, Texas, and are building another in Yuma, Arizona, to help house people.