The Ongoing Issues of a Southern Border in Crisis

Under the Biden administration, we have seen record daily crossings, massive increases in migrant encounters every month, and an 800% increase in unaccompanied minors crossing the border since 2020. For this reason, a central tenet of our Commitment to America is tackling the border tragedy. The President’s open border policies have turned every district across America into a border district and every state into a border state, leaving us with an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis.

In May of 2023, in response to record-breaking apprehensions, the Biden administration announced a new program that essentially allowed for the release of migrants into the United States without court dates or any ability to track them. Due to this program, the Department of Homeland Security has now admitted that 40 percent of catch-and-release migrants have disappeared. In a recent hearing, Secretary Mayorkas even refused to answer if the Department of Homeland Security knows where these individuals are. This is unacceptable.

We know that these guidelines will only further incentivize migrants to make the dangerous journey to our Southern border. In July, there were over 130,000 encounters, a 30% increase from the month before. In the Tucson sector, we are witnessing a 134% increase in daily crossings from June. The large number of immigrant releases at our border have caused New York City’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office to be “fully booked through October 2032.” Put simply, this is unsustainable.

The administration’s actions have also further empowered the cartels, creating billions in profits for them through smuggling fees. This is a serious national security risk in a plethora of ways. First, fentanyl deaths have spiked nearly 279% between 2016 and 2021. The scourge of fentanyl continues to plague communities across the United States. Second, we have seen increasing violence and aggression from the cartels. In an operation led by Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety, two of three cartel gunmen seen crossing illegally into Fronton, Texas last week have been arrested. The operation began after the men escaped detection after being seen on camera crossing into the area with body armor and rifles. Per law enforcement sources, the two that were apprehended are confirmed members of the Northeast Cartel. In just the first nine months of Fiscal Year 2023, 140 individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist were stopped trying to cross the border. This is an all-time record.

To combat all this, House Republicans have passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, the most comprehensive border security bill since 1996. H.R. 2 will require transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Department of Homeland Security, end catch and release, deploy technology, and end abuse of executive immigration authority.

The situation at the southern border is past the tipping point. Just last week, the governor of Massachusetts declared a state of emergency due to the influx of migrants. This is a situation that many of our border states have been dealing with for years now. It is paramount that President Biden and the Senate Democrats take action on this crisis. The inability to act endangers every American citizen. America needs border policies that prioritize the safety and well-being of our country.