Biden’s Open Borders
As tensions rise as a result of Russia's occupation of Ukraine and China's military exercises in the waters and airspace around Taiwan, our very own homeland security is at risk of being overlooked. Alarming data from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reveal CBP encountered a record 239,416 individuals attempting to enter our country illegally at our southern border during the month of May – an increase of 32 percent over CBP encounters in May 2021 and a staggering 930 percent over 2020.
This volume alone is overwhelming our homeland security agencies, but the risk of dangerous individuals making their way into our country is also rising. Since October 2021, 50 people designated in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Terrorist Screening Database have been arrested while attempting to illegally enter the United States. This exceeds numbers from previous years many times over and is a direct result of the assumption around the world our border is not secure.
The Wall Street Journal has reported drug overdoses, due mostly to opioids, exceeded 100,000 to reach an all-time high in 2021. CBP has seized over 1 millon pounds of illegal drugs since President Biden took office, including nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl to date in Fiscal Year 2022. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, one pound of fentanyl has the potential to cause 225,000 overdose deaths.
The problem is greater than ever before, yet actions taken by the Biden administration to repeal policies such as the Remain in Mexico Policy and Title 42, show an agenda which is out of touch with a majority of Americans. A recent survey conducted by CNN, as well as another by POLITICO and the Harvard School of Public Health, show most Americans disapprove of ending Title 42 at this time.
Because I also oppose ending Title 42, I am a cosponsor of the PAUSE Act, legislation to prevent the administration from lifting or weakening Title 42. I am also a cosponsor of a bill to use the Congressional Review Act to stop a rule proposed by President Biden's DHS and Department of Justice (DOJ). The rule would direct those who cross the border illegally and claim asylum to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials, rather than immigration judges, to have their asylum application reviewed. Further, under the rule, these individuals would not be detained while their application is pending.
This comes alongside a processing backlog and concerning developments, such as the administration's unprecedented and involuntary replacement of the director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) and other top EOIR officials and immigration judges. One of those judges, Matthew O'Brien, has said the administration seems to be dealing with the backlog, "by simply not pursuing the cases and releasing these people into the interior of the United States." This is unacceptable.
Non-enforcement of our nation's laws and neglect of our borders are incentivizing an ongoing crisis at our southern border. Since President Biden entered office, nearly 3 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at our southern border, and caravans of individuals eager to take advantage of loose border security have become commonplace.
Our nation was founded by immigrants who sought a better life for themselves and their families. Congress must continue to improve our immigration laws for those who seek to contribute positively to our nation. However, as President Biden fails to protect our southern border, the positive stories of those who immigrate legally will be drowned out by continued alarm about illegal immigration.