Obama: Surge of immigrant children an “urgent humanitarian situation”

President Barack Obama on Monday said the surge of immigrant children illegally crossing the southwest border without their parents has resulted in an “urgent humanitarian situation.”

Obama issued a memo Monday, directing Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to establish a group of officials who will deal with the problem. Johnson has tapped Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate to lead the group, which will help provide housing, medical treatment and transportation for the children.

“The influx of unaccompanied alien children across the southwest border of the United States has resulted in an urgent humanitarian situation requiring a unified and coordinated federal response,” Obama said in his memo.