Vitiello made the remark one day before Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit Guatemala.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Mayorkas will travel to the Northern Triangle country on Tuesday and Wednesday and will "meet with counterparts in the government of Guatemala regarding shared priorities."
Mayorkas "will also meet with in-country members of the DHS workforce and key DHS partners," the statement maintained.
Amid a border crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of migrant encounters in recent months, the Biden administration has established significant emphasis on the "root causes" of the crisis like violence, climate change and poverty in Central America and Northern Triangle nations like Guatemala.
WATCH:ELON MUSK TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SELF DRIVING CARS
The trip comes almost a month after Vice President Kamala Harris visited Guatemala as part of a trip to the area, in which she was met with criticism for not having visited the border as part of her position in leading diplomatic talks to tackle the "root causes" of the migrant crisis.
WATCH ALAN DERSHOWITZ: "THERE IS NO CRIME IN MANHATTAN"
While she highlighted those root causes and unveiled a number of measures to tackle them, her visit was complicated by Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, who partially accused the Biden administration of encouraging the surge.
PUTIN'S LATEST POWER MOVE: RUSSIA DISPLAYS "WAR WINS" IN EYE-OPENING EXHIBITION
"Working with Guatemala, working with The Northern Triangle on governance and anti-corruption activities, that’s all well and good, but that’s not going to stop the surge that’s occurring on the border right now," Vitiello claimed on Monday. "We’ve encouraged people to send or bring their children to the border and the root cause of the chaos is the reversal of the policies."
HOW DEMOCRATS' ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ARE TURNING INTO THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE
President Biden dismissed a number of his predecessor's immigration policies, which involved wall construction and having asylum seekers stay in Mexico rather than in the U.S. while they wait for their cases to be heard. The moves have led to a record surge in migrants, including unaccompanied minors, that has strained capacity at immigration facilities.
"BITCOIN JESUS" BUSTED: $48 MILLION TAX EVASION SCHEME UNRAVELS
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vitiello further claimed on Monday that cartels are benefiting from the migrant surge.
FIFTH VICTIM FOUND AND IDENTIFIED IN KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE
IT'S OFFICIAL: ALEX SOROS ATTENDS THE MET GALA WITH NEW LOVE FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE...
DOCS MAKE ANOTHER ASTOUNDING MEDICAL CONNECTION TO PANDEMIC JABS
"People who come up to the border and the people who are smuggled into the pipeline, they’re controlled by smugglers and cartels," Vitiello said. "They’re the one that are getting over because of this surge at the border."
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
