Since Biden took office, over 6.2 million people have illegally poured across the border, with 1.5 million people slipping by, completely unnoticed by law enforcement.
After avoiding the situation at the Southern border for most of his term, Biden has finally had to face facts. Now Biden is laying 20 miles of border wall, despite pledging that “not another foot” would be built under his leadership.
It appears he has lived to regret that campaign promise which no doubt opened the door for the high levels of illegal immigration we see today.
Overwhelmed with migrants, several states are pleading for assistance and turning against Biden in the process. The Commander and Chief, who has let all of this happen by naively appointing his VP in charge of the border wall, will have a very hard time explaining this burgeoning crisis to the American people.
The question now is what are they going to do about it? Will things finally change?
Or will they keep putting our security and taxpayers last while they put their energy into other agendas?
GOP Senators John Barrasso, John Cornyn, Ted Cruz and Pete Ricketts went where Biden refused and saw what was really taking place at the Southern border. I’m sure Biden wishes they hadn’t because since their visit, all eyes have been on the Biden administration’s handling of illegal immigration.
During their visit, the senators met with Border Patrol agents reaching their breaking point due to extreme fatigue, discouragement, and frustration in the face of the ongoing crisis. Senator Ted Cruz, who has organized multiple lawmaker delegations to southwest Texas has reiterated Border Patrol agents’ frustration.
But it’s not just frustration, it’s almost complete chaos. His convoluted system means that there is no enforcement of the rules as individuals are briefly detained and often freed. This catch-and-release approach has done just about as much good as Kamala Harris telling Guatamalens, “Don’t Come”.
Biden’s policies not only fall short when it comes to protecting Border Patrol agents, but also children. In August, there were 91,000 migrants who crossed as part of a family group, exceeding the prior one-month record of 84,486 set in May 2019. Family units are typically given preferential treatment when applying for asylum or crossing the border, which is why there are a large number of children accompanied by an adult who may or may not be a relative.
US immigration policy has long been stymied by this category of migrants which are usually detained by Border Patrol agents before being quickly released and allowed to live and work in the United States while their humanitarian claims are pending. It could take several years before US immigration courts even reach a decision, and even when they do it rarely ends in deportation.
Under the Trump administration, children accompanied by an adult were required to do a DNA test to ensure their safety, which is a policy that no longer exists under Biden. Ted Cruz pointed out that during Trump’s administration, about 30% of adults were not related to the kids they showed up with.
This means that children could be brought across the border with a non-relative in an attempt to secure preferential treatment or even for more nefarious purposes. Some critics have pointed out the danger these policies expose children to if left unchecked.
It’s clear that concerns regarding border security have been all but totally overlooked during the Biden administration. But at long last, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas finally acknowledged what many have been saying for years; that in addition to resources, substantive policy reforms are urgently needed to end President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and truly secure the border. finally acknowledged what many have been saying for years; that in addition to resources, substantive policy reforms are urgently needed to end President Biden’s ongoing border crisis and truly secure the border. To deal with the issue, the White House appealed to Congress for $14 billion in additional border funding.
However, Republican lawmakers see the request as too little, too late, especially since very little of this funding would be going to address the root cause of this crisis.
According to the White House proposal, $1.6 billion would go to hiring 1,600 new asylum officers and processing personnel, $1.4 billion for 375 immigration judges as well as 1,300 new border patrol agents. Another $4.4 billion would be allocated for Homeland Security efforts, including increased funding for holding facilities.
Representative Dan Crenshaw was quick to point out that “The border has never been a money issue, it has always been a policy issue.” Senator Barrasso has also stated that the Biden administration’s goal with the supplemental funding is merely to provide “money to make people come in easier.”
Republican calls have intensified for the Biden administration to drop its catch-and-release approach in favor of real border enforcement. It appears some are also considering harsher restrictions for asylum seekers after the end of Title 42 – a COVID-era emergency health authority that allowed U.S. officials to turn away migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border.
While Congress has no clear path forward on the border issue, it is clear that the Biden administration has gone to considerable efforts to downplay the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration.
As much as his administration tried to push the issue under the carpet, it was all too apparent to those living in sanctuary cities. The mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York have requested $5 billion to respond to the surge of migrants which has overwhelmed their cities’ support systems. Recently, these cities rejected an offer for $1.4 billion in support, demanding the full $5 billion instead.
Clearly their ideological rhetoric demands a heavy financial toll – one that even Biden is not willing to support.
As a result of the border crisis, states and cities are being forced to respond in different ways. The Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul extended an executive order declaring a state of emergency in response to the arrival of migrants. Denver has begun distributing flyers to Texas border towns to notify incoming migrants that their resources are exhausted. The Mayor of Dallas has even gone so far as to switch to the GOP after becoming disillusioned with the Democratic party. In his Op-Ed with the Wall Street Journal he wrote that:
“The future of America’s great urban centers depends on the willingness of the nation’s mayors to champion law and order and practice fiscal conservatism. (…) Most of these local leaders are proud Democrats who view cities as laboratories for liberalism rather than as havens for opportunity and free enterprise. Too often, local tax dollars are spent on policies that exacerbate homelessness, coddle criminals and make it harder for ordinary people to make a living. And too many local Democrats insist on virtue signaling—proposing half-baked government programs that aim to solve every single societal ill (…) This makes for good headlines, but not for safer, stronger, more vibrant cities.”
While the Biden administration struggles to deal with the result of its own policies, cities and states are being left to problem solve by themselves. We’ve seen blowback from a number of these cities, especially from Democrat Mayor Eric Adams of New York City who may be forced to pass out tents to deal with the migrant crisis if Biden doesn’t step in.
But it looks like Biden is still running away from his problems after deciding not to attend a White House meeting with these mayors.
Some voters inside these sanctuary cities may be surprised by the abrupt turn of events, but one person in particular is not surprised at all. Former President Donald Trump has long warned about Biden’s “ridiculous open borders” policy and will no doubt continue to campaign on Biden’s handling of the issue.
Trump voiced the concerns of a nation, and as crisis builds upon crisis at our southern border, we must ask difficult questions.
Who should be held responsible for the staggering number of illegal crossings, oversight failures, and exploding costs? For now the only certainty is that an indefensible border threatens to become this administration’s looming legacy.
