WATCH: Psaki rejects calls to tighten border security despite video footage of children being thrown over border wall

"On immigration, has the White House considered beefing up border security now that there is video of a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old being thrown over the wall in New Mexico?" Psaki was asked.

"I've seen the video and I think any of us who saw the video were incredibly alarmed by the steps of smugglers, ones that we have been quite familiar with," Psaki began. "As Secretary Mayorkas said, the inhumane way smugglers abuse children while profiting off parents' desperation is criminal and morally reprehensible."

"The President certainly agrees with that, and these kids, I believe, we're rescued by individuals who were working at the border."

The reporter responded by stating that the problem is not a question of whether the kids were rescued, but the fact that smugglers were able to approach the border that closely in the first place.

"I'm just curious what the White House is doing to stop that from happening."

Psaki responded by questioning the motive of the reporter, who responded back by saying that the safety of the children are the main concern.

"I will say that our concern and our focus is on sending a clear message to the region that this is not the time to come," Psaki said. "You should not send your kids on this treacherous journey, that these smugglers are preying on vulnerabilities in these communities, there's a lot of issues and steps we need to take to address root causes, so of course our concern is for the safety of these kids."

The message does not seem to be getting across, however. Border crossings along the southern border have spiked dramatically since President Joe Biden was sworn into office, with migrant holding facilities reporting critical levels of overcrowding and some migrants being housed under bridges.

As border crossings surge, the Democrats have put their support behind a number of policies designed to support illegal immigrants, including amnesty bills and an executive order by President Biden instituting a moratorium on deportations, although the moratorium was placed on hold by a judge.

Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's immigration policies, arguing that their lax approach to illegal immigration is encouraging the massive spike in immigration.

Psaki finished by saying that border patrol agents "deserve our gratitude" for ensuring the safety of children.