UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / From the desk of Tom Cole
The national security threat and humanitarian risk posed by the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border has brought our country to an important crossroads. It is far past time that we address President Joe Biden’s self-made border disaster, support our customs and border patrol (CBP) agents and provide reasonable reforms to a broken immigration system.
Several of the president’s first executive actions included dismantling policies put in place by the previous administration that significantly eased a stressed immigration system. These actions included halting construction of the border wall, ending the Migrant Protection Protocols or “remain in Mexico” program and restarting the dangerous “catch and release” program. In order to uphold the principles of a secure and prosperous nation, the Biden Administration must reverse course.
These ill-advised policies evidently encouraged a surge of migrants to swarm the border. In fact, since President Biden took office, there have been nearly 8 million illegal border crossings, including more than 6.7 million southern border encounters and 1.7 million known “gotaways” who evaded U.S. border patrol. In November 2023 alone, there were 242,418 migrant encounters at the southern border, more than a 200 percent increase from November 2020.
Furthermore, criminals have unfortunately exploited the situation at the border to the detriment of American citizens as well as other migrants. So far under President Biden’s open border policies, hundreds of individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist were stopped trying to escape into the U.S., including 169 in fiscal year 2023 alone, an all-time record. And so far in fiscal year 2023, CBP has arrested 35,433 aliens with criminal convictions or outstanding warrants nationwide, including 598 known gang members, 178 of those being MS-13 members. The unchecked flow of individuals, including those with criminal intent, endangers the safety of Americans and we must prioritize the protection of our homeland.
Those trafficking dangerous and deadly drugs have also taken advantage of the situation at the southern border. During President Biden’s tenure, the flow of fentanyl into our country has increased at a nearly uncontrollable rate, leading to hundreds of thousands of overdoses across the U.S. Moreover, there were more fentanyl seizures in fiscal year 2023 than in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 combined. This alarming statistic is reason enough to establish full control of the southern border.
Finally, the humanitarian toll of this crisis cannot be overstated. Vulnerable migrants, including unaccompanied minors, face perilous journeys that often result in human trafficking or harm. The administration’s inaction only leaves those seeking a better life in the shadows of a broken system. This shows the need for balanced reforms that address the root causes of immigration and work with our neighboring countries to create an orderly immigration system, but also respect the rule of U.S. law.
The unprecedented flow of migrants to the border, the uptick in dangerous and deadly drugs such as fentanyl into our country and the humanitarian crisis is a reminder of the consequences of misguided policies and lack of leadership. Congress must get serious about passing further legislation to address this crisis and hold the Biden Administration accountable for its failures. The well-being of our nation and safety of our citizens depends on a strong border.
