OKC Standard

While the humanitarian crisis continues to evolve at the southern border, House Republicans have been working on solving this tragedy. When I visited the border, I saw with my own eyes the devastating impact of this situation. Under this Administration, it feels like every town is a border town, and sadly, it will only get worse. So far, we have seen over 6.3 million illegal border crossings since Biden took office, which is over 2 million more people than reside in the state of Oklahoma. In March alone, 2,848 pounds of fentanyl were captured. Sadly, this number reflects only a fraction of deadly drugs that are pouring into our communities.

With the expiration of Title 42, President Biden is worsening the crisis his open border agenda has created. His policies have successfully empowered drug smugglers and human traffickers, making American communities less safe, and creating the worst border crisis in modern history. In 2019, Former Obama DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said 1,000 illegal encounters per day at the border “overwhelms the system” and is a crisis. We are currently averaging between 5 and 10 times that number. In fact, Customs and Border Patrol recently said that these are the highest single day totals ever recorded.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023. This is the strongest border security bill in American history. This comprehensive plan will advance technology, provide resources for CBP officers, strengthen current law to combat human trafficking, and protect our communities from fentanyl. Republican leadership has made border security a top priority for the safety of all Americans.

Border communities are suffering at the hands of the Administration, which is why I reintroduced the Securing American Families from Exploitation at the Border Act, or SAFE Border Act. This would enable American families who are in high-risk areas for illegal immigration to strengthen the physical security of their property. This legislation is needed now more than ever and serves as a step toward providing safety for overwhelmed and vulnerable communities.

As one Border Patrol Agent put it, “The dam is about to break” and if Biden really wants to end his self-inflicted humanitarian crisis, then he must secure the border, enforce the law, and reverse the policies he put into place that got us where we are today. While President Biden is absent, House Republicans will keep our commitment to America.

Original source can be found here.