TEXAS — Vice President Kamala Harris was recently named the White House’s point person on issues concerning immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, and on Tuesday Texas Gov. Greg Abbott turned his attention to her.

Thousands of migrant families and children have arrived at the U.S-Mexico border in recent weeks, straining resources and creating overcrowding at facilities designated to house them temporarily.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) who recently toured facilities housing teenagers who crossed the border unaccompanied, described what he saw as “tragic” and “horrific.”

Abbott begins a letter addressed to the vice president by explaining just how many migrants have crossed the border into Texas in the recent weeks and months.

“In just the first two months of this year, at least 11,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended crossing the border into Texas," Abbott wrote in his letter. "It is my understanding that this number has now likely more than doubled with the surge of apprehensions throughout the month of March. And, according to the administration, there are currently more than 18,000 immigrant children in the federal government’s custody.”

Abbott claims that many of the unaccompanied minors crossing the border are victims of human trafficking, abuse, or both.

“We have a duty to investigate these border crossings so we can protect the victims of human trafficking that have already crossed our borders, crack down on the perpetrators of this heinous crime, and ensure federal policies do not allow – or even incentivize – such behavior,” Abbott wrote. “We must use every available resource to stop this abuse of basic human rights.”

Abbott urges Harris to visit the border to observe conditions for herself and provides her with a list of questions he’s seeking answers for, including:

• How are the children coming across the border and who’s helping them?
• Were the children harmed or abused en route?
• Were the children or their families assisted, threatened or coerced by cartel members or human traffickers?
• Are the children being screened for signs of abuse, assault and trafficking?
• How many victims of abuse, sexual assault or trafficking have been identified?
• What action is your administration taking to prosecute those who traffic unaccompanied minors?

"Given your new role as the administration’s Border Czar, I urge you to visit the border to see the crisis for yourself," Abbott wrote, "and I implore the Biden administration to take swift action to secure the border, crack down on human trafficking, and prevent more children from being trafficked and abused."

Harris does not have plans to visit the border "in the near future," according to spokesperson Symone Sanders, who said that the vice president would travel to the border, but is currently focused on diplomacy with the Northern Triangle countries of Central America. 

The vice president had a phone call on Tuesday with the president of Guatemala, where they "discussed the significant risks to those leaving their homes and making the dangerous journey to the United States, especially during a global pandemic," as well as briefed the leader on efforts to increase diplomatic assistance to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and other measures to address the root causes of migration to the U.S., according to the White House.