Congressmen Flood and Smith Editorialize on Southern Border Crisis

The crisis at our southern border has reached epic proportions. Last week, we traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas — a community that has shouldered the brunt of the Biden administration’s reckless border mismanagement — to hear directly from Americans impacted by the unfolding crisis.

Since President Biden took office, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has recorded more than 5 million encounters at the southern border. Data released by the House Judiciary Committee estimate at least 2.4 million of the migrants that have entered the United States illegally have remained in the country as of March 2023.

What we heard and saw in Eagle Pass was devastating. Lives have been lost or completely ripped apart, and state and local government agencies are overrun and overwhelmed. CBP agents are doing the best they can under the circumstances, but they need more tools and technology. This humanitarian crisis has exploded as the Biden administration has signaled to the world that our borders are open.

Thousands of migrants arrive at our southern border from all over the world on any given day, many in need of immediate medical attention because of the harrowing journey they’ve endured. The surge has pushed our country’s processing centers beyond their capacity.

This is an entirely preventable crisis, but the Biden administration — under the direction of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — has actively pursued policy to worsen the border crisis. The administration recently asked the Supreme Court to allow CBP agents to cut the razor-wire fencing the state of Texas has installed to help control the influx of arrivals at the border. Around the same time, the Biden administration tried to deflect attention by halting train crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border — a decision we successfully fought to overturn.

Mayorkas’ train blockade did virtually nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigration; however, it did hold up time-sensitive agricultural exports to Mexico.

Instead of picking fights with Congress and forcing states to step in where the federal government has failed, the president should work with us on real solutions. It’s time to act.

The president’s policies have turned every American community into a border town, and American cities and states are spending millions — sometimes billions — to provide housing and other services to migrants. It’s not just about housing migrants; drug smuggling across the border is costing American lives. According to CPB data, 27,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl was seized at the southern border in fiscal year 2023, but much more continues to slip through.

Here’s what needs to happen. First and foremost, Mayorkas must immediately resign or face impeachment. This crisis has escalated on his watch, and he has repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to solve a problem he’s made worse. It’s time for true accountability and, until that occurs, we cannot trust the administration will not continue to undermine respect for our nation’s laws and refuse to work with Congress to solve the problem.

Next, the House and Senate need to reach an agreement based on the House-passed H.R. 2, also known as the Secure the Border Act. Any legislation must include construction of a border wall or barrier, an increase in CBP agents and bonus pay for those who have been working around the clock, the end of catch and release policies that give migrants a free pass to stay in the United States while they await immigration court proceedings, and resources to deploy state-of-the-art technologies to assist with border security. Many agree updates to America’s immigration policies are needed, but it’s imperative our country secures the border first.

While not our first visit to the border, our trip shed new light on the president’s border crisis. It also underscored the critical work being done by CBP agents, state and local officials, and border communities in the face of an impossible situation.

Leaders like Speaker Johnson and Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents Eagle Pass, are doing great work by stepping up to help solve the problem as we work to push the Biden administration to act. We owe it to the American people to find solutions. We won’t stop fighting for the rule of law and will do everything needed to secure our border to keep our country safe.