E-Newsletter

The House of Representatives voted recently on a resolution condemning the failures of the Biden-Harris Administration to secure the United States southern border.

President Biden appointed Kamala Harris to oversee migration on our southern border. She was given much authority and was colloquially referred to as being the “border czar” (see CNN coverage at the time).

As everyone knows, border crossings dramatically increased during the Biden-Harris era. The encounters at our southern border hit a record-high in December of 2023, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tallying over 300,000 encounters.

Pew Research Center found that U.S. Border Patrol reported roughly 16,000 encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in April of 2020.

“Encounters” is a word whose definition combines the total of apprehensions and expulsions.

Under the Trump Administration, the U.S. imposed a series of policies to stem the tide of encounters at our southern border.

Among those was the Migrant Protection Protocols, known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, requiring migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases were processed.

Another was Title 42, restrictions allowing federal authorities to stop migrant crossings if it was in the best interests of public health to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

As a result, many migrants did not enter. The Trump policies helped!

Despite the success of these border policies, the Biden-Harris Administration either did not use these policies or allowed them to expire.

On Biden’s first day in office, he froze border wall funding.

I visited the border shortly thereafter and saw border crossings with gates wide open because the Biden-Harris Administration refused to pay to have the mechanized gate closing apparatus that was sitting next to the gate installed. Taxpayers had paid for the finished gate. They also had paid for miles of uninstalled wall.

Biden-Harris left the supplies lying unused to rust.

Subsequently, when migration exploded, Biden assigned Harris the leadership position to address migration at our southern border.

But for whatever reason, Harris didn’t visit the border for months. And as best as I can determine, that one visit was her only visit.

She didn’t speak with the current chief of U.S. Border Patrol, Jason Ownes, nor his predecessor, Raul Ortiz.

Rodney Scott led the agency during the Trump Administration. However, the Biden-Harris Administration removed Scott!

How did Harris fare in her communications with other countries?

Well, the results speak for themselves.

CBP reported that in April of 2024, the southern border had almost 180,000 encounters!

That means in four years, the number of migrant encounters at the southern border increased more than ten-fold!

Where are they coming from?

China, Haiti, Venezuela, and Uzbekistan are just some of the countries.

In June, eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan were arrested in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is alleged they have ties to ISIS!

All had crossed the southern border.

Virginia is no stranger to the repercussions of an open border.

Earlier this year, two Jordanian nationals attempted to breach the Marine Corps base in Quantico. It is reported that one of them got into the U.S. by crossing the border just six weeks prior!

An open border contributes to national security risks.

But in this election year, the Biden-Harris Administration has tried to play catchup.

They announced in June new executive actions restricting asylum claims and expediting removal of unauthorized migrants.

Biden-Harris always had the power to implement restrictions.

But for some, it is a little too late.

Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student, and Jocelyn Nungaray, a twelve-year-old Texan, are two young girls who were murdered this year by illegal immigrants. These are just two well-publicized cases among the vast number of crimes committed by illegal immigrants who crossed the border during the Biden-Harris era.

An open border serves the interests of criminals and gangs, not law-abiding Americans.

Lack of action by so-called “czar” Harris is inexcusable, unacceptable and dangerous.

House Republicans have tried to stop the Biden-Harris open borders agenda.

That included passing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, to restart construction of the border wall and equip border personnel with needed technologies and funding.

The House also passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires federal officials to apprehend and detain undocumented immigrants who commit serious crimes such as burglary, shoplifting or larceny, until they are removed from our country.

The Democrat-controlled Senate has not taken up these bills.

An open border must not stand, and I will continue to fight to build the wall and close the border.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.  You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov.

 

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