We must secure the border

By U.S. Rep. Tom Cole
R-Oklahoma

Our country is currently experiencing the worst crisis at our southern border in American history as a direct result of the Biden Administration’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. 

In fact, since President Joe Biden assumed office, nearly 6 million migrants have illegally crossed or have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. It is long past time for the president to begin working with House Republicans to find solutions to this unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis.

In September, some reports have indicated that more than 260,000 encounters at the border, surpassing the previous record of 252,320 from December 2022. In addition, in fiscal year 2023 CBP seized 25,591 pounds of deadly fentanyl, enough to kill every American citizen, and another record was surpassed with 151 people apprehended whose names appear on the terrorist watch list. 

Now, even Democratic leaders and lawmakers, who have long denounced the need for stronger border security, have even begun waking up to this crisis. Incentives that have exacerbated this crisis have hurt nearly every city across the United States

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. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed commonsense legislation that would end President Biden’s border crisis. 

As the strongest border security bill in U.S. history, if signed into law H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, would provide for the resources and direction necessary to secure the border including resuming border wall construction, giving border patrol agents necessary resources, equipment and manpower, reforming fraud and abuse in the asylum process, preventing catch and release practices and establishing new penalties for visa overstays.

In addition, last month House Republicans passed H.R. 4367, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, to provide full funding for the Department of Homeland security which is critical to securing our nation from within. This legislation ensures our selfless CBP agents are provided with the foundation needed to protect our citizens. CBP agents are stretched thin as millions take advantage of the president’s open border, and this legislation would provide the funding to secure the border, remove dangerous criminals and detainees unlawfully in our country and counter China’s role in the spread of fentanyl.

President Joe Biden’s southern border is a chaotic scene of his own making. An open border empowers drug cartels, suspected terrorists and human traffickers, and allows fentanyl and illicit drugs to flow into our communities. Not only is this a threat to the integrity of our nation, but it puts every community at risk. The president must secure the border now.