Since Inauguration Day, our nation has watched in horror as a humanitarian, national security, and public health crisis has unfolded at our southern border. The chaos in question is the direct result of President Joe Biden’s executive orders and failed immigration policies.
From rescinding former President Donald Trump’s successful “Remain in Mexico” policy to drastically reducing deportations, Biden has brazenly incentivized illegal immigration. In September, his administration released thousands of illegal immigrants from Haiti into the country. When pressed on the specific number, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted, “Approximately, I think it’s about 10,000 or so, 12,000,” shamelessly adding, “It could be even higher.”
Additionally, the Biden administration is inconsistently using Title 42, a public health provision that allows officials to expel illegal immigrants due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, Customs and Border Protection only expelled 53% of illegal immigrants under Title 42 in September 2021 — barely half of the total monthly encounters.
It’s no wonder why hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are flooding our southern border. Time and again, the president has proven he has no interest in taking the crisis he created seriously.
Due to Biden’s severely misguided policies, the number of migrants attempting to cross the border illegally has become staggering. CBP officials encountered 4,000 more migrants per day in September 2021 than they did in September 2020 — a 232% increase in a single year. In addition, September was the seventh straight month with more than 170,000 apprehensions — bringing the total of illegal border crossings since Biden took office to a stunning 1.4 million.
Perpetuated by an incompetent administration, the disaster at our southern border continues to leave visible ripple effects, creating a multitude of national security threats ranging from possible known terrorists attempting to cross our border to exacerbating the spread of COVID-19.
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in March, Mayorkas admitted there were “instances” in which illegal immigrants were released into the country — without being tested for COVID-19. Months later in September, he still could not provide a comprehensive coronavirus testing plan to the committee. In response, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General issued a report detailing how the department has failed to ensure sufficient COVID-19 precautions are taken at the border.
For examples of their mismanagement, look no further than the recent rise of COVID-19 at the border and in neighboring communities. Over the summer, the Rio Grande Valley Sector’s number of detainees testing positive for COVID-19 increased by 900%. Imagine how many more people have been infected due to the Biden administration’s negligence.
Clearly, the administration’s cavalier approach to handling an unprecedented surge of illegal migrants amid a pandemic continues to put Border Patrol agents and communities at risk of exposure. Regrettably, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would rather fulfill their campaign promise of instituting blanket amnesty than prioritize the safety, security, and health of citizens.
Alarmed that an unknown number of illegal immigrants have been released into our country without being tested for COVID-19, I introduced H.R. 2076, the COVID-19 Border Protection Act. This legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a comprehensive strategy to test all migrants encountered by DHS and HHS officials at the border and quarantine those who test positive. By testing and quarantining migrants, we will be able to reduce the unnecessary spread of COVID-19 from our southern border into communities such as our own. Until we put Americans first by securing the border and stopping the spread of COVID-19-positive illegal immigrants, every state, including Georgia, is a border state.
If passed, this would be a critical first step in ensuring illegal immigrants are not infecting more people with this deadly disease. I’m counting on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in passing this crucial legislation, which will help provide some of the tools needed to solve this crisis.
At a time of unparalleled hyperpartisanship, common sense must prevail. Historically, both parties have recognized the need to put the public’s safety over party politics. Yet given the Democrats’ blind acceptance of Biden’s many crises, including a troubling crime surge, the catastrophe in Afghanistan, soaring inflation, and the new supply chain crisis, I won’t hold my breath. However, we must remain focused on illuminating the pressing issues at our southern border in hopes that the Democrats will put the safety of our people over politics.
Andrew Clyde represents Georgia’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and the American Security Task Force.
