We are facing a crisis at our southern border. In fact, we’ve been facing a crisis there for years. We should be using every available resource to improve our immigration process, but in the meantime, we absolutely must equip our agencies with enforcement tools. If we don’t, our environment will suffer as a result.

The environmental impact isn’t usually the first issue that comes to mind when considering illegal border crossings, but it is important nonetheless. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported more than 100,000 people attempted to cross the southwest border in February 2021, a 28% increase over January 2021. This is due, in part, to President Biden’s swift actions unraveling many of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including halting border wall construction.