Dear friend,
As we witness a historic influx of migrants entering the United States at the southwest border, I want to assure you that I share your concerns surrounding the ongoing border crisis. This crisis was triggered by the new Biden Administration rescinding multiple policies from the Trump Administration that had reduced illegal border crossings to a 20-year low, and by gridlock in Congress that has stymied common sense policy adjustments. The results are a humanitarian crisis and heightened threat to our national security.
Without a doubt, our country is in desperate need of immigration reform and a more secure border. The current immigration system can simply not withstand the increased demand for entry into the United States that takes decades for some to lawfully enter our country.
As of March 25, more than 18,000 unaccompanied children are in custody at the southern border with more than 13,000 in HHS facilities and nearly 5,000 in U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Further, the Department of Homeland Security estimates between 18,600 to 22,000 children could cross the border in April. They predict numbers will increase to as many as 26,000 in September. Human traffickers have victimized some of these children and approximately a third of the women crossing the border were sexually assaulted in the process.
The Biden Administration rescinded Trump’s policies calling them inhumane. The consequence though, has been a significant increase in inhumanity. We should judge policies by the results.
This year, two Yemeni men on the FBI’s terror watchlist and “no-fly” list were arrested separately on two different instances for illegally entering the US from Mexico. News of the arrests came as the number of migrants traveling to the US-Mexico border have skyrocketed since President Biden took office. I commend CBD and local authorities for their diligence and efforts to combat potential terrorists that are a threat to the American people.
Our goal should be to create a safer clear legal pathway to emigrate to our country, while maintaining law and order at the border. In the meantime, Congress must provide a legal way forward for DACA and TPS recipients who have been living in the U.S. for many years, and in some cases decades, so they can have confidence in their futures. These folks have attended our schools, are in our workforce, and have become a valued part of our community.
For many immigrants, our country is a safe haven from the violence, poverty, and corruption they are genuinely fleeing from in their home countries, and we are seen all over the world as the “Land of the Free” and the “Land of Opportunity.” However, we cannot ignore the increase of drug smuggling, human trafficking, and gang violence that are exacerbated by the border crisis. We cannot ignore individuals on the Terrorist Watch List trying to enter our country clandestinely. With all that being said, we need to strengthen our legal pathways to our country, secure our borders, and enforce the rule of law.
I urge my House colleagues to work toward a solution to fix the border crisis in a timely and efficient manner. There are many areas we can agree and work on to fix this.
As always, please contact my office at (402) 938-0300, if you have any questions or concerns.
