Passing a Commonsense Security Measure to Strengthen Border Policies and End Biden’s Weakness

It is widely known that President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have overseen a severe national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border of our country. In the week leading up to the expiration of Title 42, Border Patrol witnessed a daily influx of over 11,000 migrants crossing the border illegally, which marks the highest recorded single-day totals to date.

Throughout Biden’s tenure as president, we have seen more than 6.3 million instances of illegal border crossings, including 1.3 million cases of individuals successfully evading detection. And these numbers do not even account for those who managed to cross undetected.

It was evident that the termination of Title 42, without enhanced enforcement measures, would send a message to the world that our southern border is open for those who wish to make the journey. Instead of turning away migrants, President Biden made it clear that his solution to the overcrowded border facilities is to release individuals into the country without providing court dates or the means to track them.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pauses during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill, April 28, 2022.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In reality, President Biden’s approach to addressing the ongoing surge at the border is not to prevent inadmissible individuals from making their way here, but rather to manage their influx.

The current administration warmly welcomes all inadmissible immigrants, regardless of their prospects for a legal path forward once they enter the country. The administration’s primary concern lies in the optics, as it aims to grant illegal and inadmissible entrants a semblance of legality through unauthorized parole or the use of an app, all in an attempt to manage the illegal flow of individuals and conceal the truth from the American people.

This ongoing surge will inevitably include criminals, drug traffickers, and terrorists. The Biden administration’s policies do not deter them from entering our country.

These ineffective border policies do not only impact border communities; when our laws are disregarded, every state becomes a border state. States like Montana and Utah have experienced an unprecedented surge in drugs and crime under President Biden’s leadership.

In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Division, which covers Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming, seized over 5.8 million potentially lethal fentanyl doses. This amount is enough to kill the entire population of Montana five times over. Yet, Secretary Mayorkas continues to deceive Congress by claiming to have operational control over the border.

Data from the CDC indicates that overdose deaths have increased every year of President Biden’s tenure. These open border policies have allowed China and the cartels to flood our nation with deadly fentanyl. This is an attack on the American people.

Additionally, taxpayers are burdened with the ever-rising costs associated with the border crisis. According to a study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, American taxpayers contribute nearly $162 billion annually to provide services and benefits for illegal immigrants. We cannot afford to take care of migrants while American families struggle with inflation and our government faces a projected $36 trillion debt by 2025.

The situation at the border in recent weeks demands immediate attention. House Republicans took action on the day Title 42 was set to expire and passed H.R.2, the Secure the Border Act. This groundbreaking legislation aims to reinstate immigration policies from the Trump era and restore sensible leadership to border issues.

The Secure Border Act includes key reforms such as measures to prevent the abuse of our asylum and parole laws, combat the exploitation of unaccompanied immigrant children, and halt the influx of illegal immigrants on an industrial scale. It also mandates the completion of President Trump’s southern border wall.

President Biden has shown a willingness to let the chaos at the border continue and leave border communities to fend for themselves. The GOP is determined to resolve the border crisis. The Secure the Border Act takes action by increasing the number of agents, updating border enforcement technology, and ending the administration’s disastrous catch-and-release policy.

This cannot wait. The time is now for the Senate to pass and the president to sign into law the Secure the Border Act, which will strengthen our southern border and protect American families.

Republican Matt Rosendale represents Montana’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.