Crisis at the border continues

There is a crisis at our southern border and President Biden is only making it worse. At the end of March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it was on track to surpass one million encounters with immigrants illegally crossing our borders over the last six months. CBP data show there were 164,973 migrant encounters at our southern border in February, up 7% from January and 63% from February of last year. These staggering numbers do not include the number of illegal migrants who eluded border agents.

Shamefully, Democrats in Congress have repeatedly blocked Republican efforts to address the crisis at our border and the Biden administration's policies continue to make it worse. Earlier this month, despite bipartisan opposition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced plans to terminate the Title 42 public health order implemented under President Trump. Title 42 authorizes immediate expulsion of single adults attempting to cross the border illegally.

Unsurprisingly, the Department of Homeland Security has projected revoking Title 42 will result in a daily surge of 18,000 arrivals per day. This is why I went to the House floor this week to demand Democrats allow H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to be considered on the House floor. This legislation would prevent the administration from lifting or weakening Title 42. Unfortunately, House Democrats blocked every attempt Republicans made to protect Americans by bringing forward the PAUSE Act.

In addition to overwhelming CBP resources, threats to national security and drug trafficking are also serious concerns. As we know from an April 2021 CBP press release-which was strangely removed from the agency's website-individuals on the FBI's No Fly terrorism watchlist have attempted to cross into the United States at our southern border.

Furthermore, the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking reported Mexico has surpassed China as the dominant source of fentanyl and synthetic opioids illegally entering the United States. Beyond its lethal potency, fentanyl is a particularly dangerous substance because Mexican drug cartels are known to manufacture counterfeit tablets. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount of fentanyl seized in Nebraska 2021 was 10 times the amount seized in 2020.

In a 2019 interview with MSNBC, President Obama's former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said border apprehensions numbering 1,000 per day "overwhelm the system," adding he could not "begin to imagine" 4,000 per day. Currently, border apprehensions are over 7,000 per day and will continue to rise until we prioritize border security.

The Biden administration's failure to control the crisis at the southern border isn't just dangerous; it's an insult to every single person who put in the time and effort to come to our great country in a lawful manner. Immigrants have made wonderful contributions to our country and our economy, and I support lawful immigration. Still, we must prioritize border security, and I will not stop demanding the president address this crisis and reform our immigration system so those who wish to come here legally can do so more efficiently and those who ignore or break our laws are not rewarded with a free pass.