Biden's border blunder

by Tom Cole

Since President Joe Biden assumed office nearly two years ago, his open border policies have given the green light to migrants and bad actors from around the world to come to the U.S. southern border and illegally enter our country. In fact, illegal border crossings increased by 300 percent in July from the same time nearly two years ago. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration continues to ignore this humanitarian and national security crisis instead of finding solutions.

Indeed, this historic crisis was created by the president’s halting of border wall construction, tying the hands of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and zero enforcement of existing border policies. As a result, illegal border crossings have reached a record high and immigrants from more than 150 countries have illegally crossed the border, and tragically the abundance of fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in American adults ages 18-45. Unfortunately, CBP officials do not expect this mass flow to slow down anytime soon.

As border patrol agents and U.S. resources continue to be strained, it is unfortunate that the Biden Administration still has no plan to deal with this crisis. In July alone there were 199,976 migrant encounters at the southern border, the second worst month on record according to CBP data. In July, at least 10 more suspects on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross our southern border, bringing the grand total to 66 for fiscal year 2022. This is more than double from the previous five years combined.

In addition, between June and July of this year, fentanyl seizures increased more than 200 percent, bringing the total to more than 10,500 pounds of fentanyl seized this fiscal year alone. One hundred times more potent than morphine, this synthetic opioid is a danger to the United States in any amount, and as this dangerous and deadly drug continues to be smuggled across our southern border, drug overdoses will continue to significantly increase nationwide. 

Instead of enacting policies to discourage migrants from making the dangerous trek to our country, the Biden Administration has been bussing thousands of illegal migrants to cities across America. This does not solve the issue of an overwhelmed border but incentivizes those who break the law by providing them free travel to go wherever they please in our country.

While I certainly understand the draw of our country to those who want to create a better life for themselves and their families, the United States is still a nation of laws that must be obeyed and properly enforced to maintain order and ensure the safety of our citizens. Instead of restoring order and promoting fairness within our immigration system, the president is continuing to act like the issue does not exist. This is a disservice to the American people.