The Biden administration has been facing a lot of heat recently over its handling of the ongoing border crisis. Despite the President’s claims that his policies are aimed at tackling the “root causes” of illegal immigration and expanding legal pathways, the facts don’t lie.
In the last three years, more than three million migrants have been encountered at the US-Mexico border, with January 2021 seeing the highest month on record with over 250,000 migrant encounters.
The Republican delegation from Texas, led by Reps. August Pfluger, Pat Fallon, Jody Arrington, Chip Roy and Tony Gonzales, have recently written to President Biden demanding he reimburses the Lone Star state for its efforts to secure its southern border.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken unprecedented steps to address the crisis, launching Operation Lone Star which has led to more than 23,000 arrests and the busing of more than 16,000 migrants to New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago and Philadelphia.
The situation has become so dire that Texas ranchers have been finding bodies of dead migrants on their property and drugs flowing across the border have led to a record-number of American lives being ruined by poisonings from synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl.
It is clear that the Biden administration policies are to blame for this crisis and they need to take responsibility and reimburse the state of Texas for the resources expended to protect its citizens.
It is also clear that the Biden administration is not doing enough to secure the border, leaving Texas to fend for itself. This is not only a humanitarian crisis, but also a national security threat. It has been reported that dozens of people on the terror watch list have been stopped by Border Patrol. The Texas Republican delegation is calling on the President to meet with them to discuss the crisis and the solutions proposed by members of the Texas delegation.
The White House has instead chosen to put pressure on Congress to pass a sweeping immigration reform bill that was introduced two years ago on President Biden’s first day in office. This bill includes greater legal pathways for migration as well as a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. But, despite the President’s claims, this bill has yet to pick up any Republican support.
It is time for the Biden administration to step up and take responsibility for their failed policies. The US-Mexico border is a national security issue and it needs to be addressed accordingly.
The White House needs to listen to the Texas Republican delegation and take their solutions seriously. It is also time for the Biden administration to start reimbursing the state of Texas for their efforts in securing the border. The Lone Star State should not be forced to reallocate their already exhausted resources to protect their communities. We need action now.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
