As The Border Crisis Worsens, Biden Wants To Cut Funding To Enforce Our Laws

Outrageously, President Biden’s Budget Proposal Would CUT Funding For The Department Of Homeland Security

“President Joe Biden has proposed slashing funding for the Department of Homeland Security by $600 million as problems of national security mount against the United States, including cyberattacks, irregular immigration, violent crime, and record high border crossings. The White House budget proposal for fiscal 2024, which will begin in October, suggested $60.4 billion for the DHS, the nation’s third-largest department with 260,000 employees worldwide. Budgets for agencies and departments typically increase year to year, but the DHS's would drop by 1% from the amount enacted this year.” (“Biden Budget Proposes Slashing $600 Million From DHS Amid Growing Threats,” Washington Examiner, 3/09/2023)

“[F]ederal law enforcement concedes that the Department of Homeland Security is working with a ‘finite number of resources’ to tackle simultaneous challenges of record-breaking fentanyl trafficking and migrants seeking asylum in the United States. ‘If we have a group of 200 migrants turn themselves in, we of course have to process and transport them, etc.,’ one CBP official said. ‘When we're doing that, we don't necessarily know what's going on the rest of the border.’” (“Fentanyl Seizures Rise At U.S.-Mexico Border — Here's Why,” CBS News, 2/03/2023)

Migrant Encounters At The U.S. Southern Border Have Exceeded 1 Million Thus Far In FY 2023, Outpacing FY 2022

“Migrant encounters at the southern border have already surpassed the one million mark for Fiscal Year 2023, multiple Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources tell Fox News, marking an unprecedented pace for encounters. As of Friday, the total migrant encounters at the border were at 1,008,217 for the fiscal year, which began in October. Of those, 87.8% were single adults. Just 328,454 were expelled under Title 42 — the pandemic-era protocol that allows border agents to rapidly expel border crossers. There were more than 1.7 million encounters overall in FY 2021 and over 2.3 million in FY 2022. The first months of FY 2023 have outpaced those of the prior fiscal year. This time last year, numbers for FY22 through March 1 were 839,819 — well under the 1 million mark.” (“Migrant Encounters At Southern Border Hit 1,000,000 Mark For FY 2023, Outpacing Prior Year: Sources,” Fox News, 2/25/2023)

• “Meanwhile, there have been 354,522 known ‘gotaways’ — illegal immigrants who have evaded Border Patrol agents but have been detected on another form of surveillance. In FY 2022, there were nearly 600,000 gotaways.” (“Migrant Encounters At Southern Border Hit 1,000,000 Mark For FY 2023, Outpacing Prior Year: Sources,” Fox News, 2/25/2023)

In FY 2022, Nearly 2.4 Million Illegal Immigrants Were Encountered Trying To Cross The Southern Border, ‘More Than Twice The Highest Level During Donald Trump’s Presidency In 2019’

“Migrants were stopped 227,547 times in September at the U.S. border with Mexico, the third-highest month of Joe Biden’s presidency. It was up 11.5% from 204,087 times in August and 18.5% from 192,001 times in September 2021. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, migrants were stopped 2.38 million times, up 37% from 1.73 million times the year before, according to figures released late Friday night. The annual total surpassed 2 million for the first time in August and is more than twice the highest level during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2019.” (“Illegal Border Crossings To US From Mexico Hit Annual High,” The Associated Press, 10/22/2022)

The Number Of Migrants On Terror Watch-Lists Encountered On The Southern Border Is Also Outpacing FY 2022

“The number of people encountered by Border Patrol agents at the southern border between ports of entry is on track to outpace the record number encountered last fiscal year, according to new data released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this week. Agents stopped 16 people on the FBI’s terror watch list who crossed illegally at the southern border in February. It brings the total number of encounters for fiscal year 2023 to 69, which is on a pace to exceed the 98 encounters in the prior fiscal year. There were only eight terror watch-list arrests between ports of entry between fiscal years 2017 and 2020, followed by 15 encounters in 2021. At the ports of entry at the northern and southern borders, CBP’s Office of Field Operations has encountered 214 people on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) so far this fiscal year. In fiscal year 2022, there were 380 apprehensions, far more than the 157 in fiscal year 2021 and 196 in fiscal year 2020.” (“Border Patrol Terror Watch-List Encounters On Track To Outpace Last Year’s Record,” Fox News, 3/16/2023)

Earlier This Month, Over 1,000 Migrants Rushed A Bridge Trying To Illegally Enter The United States

“A group of at least 1,000 migrants rushed the Paso Del Norte bridge linking Mexico to the U.S. in El Paso, Texas, on Sunday, to gain access into the United States, video shows. Crowd control measures were used when the group of mainly Venezuelan migrants continued to press forward, though according to sources at the border, the efforts were thwarted. Another video shows the moment the migrants pushed onto the bridge and began running for freedom, with a sign above the read, ‘Feliz Viaje,’ or, happy travels. In a third video, migrants were seen gathering on a smaller bridge, while others were observed lining up along the riverbank. Customs and Border Protection increased manpower in the area on the U.S. side, while the Mexican military attempted to contain the incident on the southern side of the bridge.” (“Border Crisis: Over 1,000 Migrants Rush Bridge Linking Mexico To US In El Paso, Texas,” Fox News, 3/12/2023)

The Head Of The U.S. Border Patrol Recently Said The Agency Does Not Have ‘Operational Control’ Of The Southern Border

“The head of the U.S. Border Patrol on Wednesday told lawmakers the agency does not have operational control of the U.S. southern border -- as he also said that migration levels were at ‘crisis’ levels in parts of the border. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz was speaking at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in McAllen, Texas and was asked about Chairman Mark Green about Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ prior claims last year that the Department of Homeland Security has operational control of the border. ‘Does DHS have operational control of our entire border.’ ‘No sir,’ Ortiz responded.” (“Border Patrol Chief Says DHS Doesn't Have Operational Control Of US Border,” Fox News, 3/15/2023)

• Green held up a definition of operational control in the U.S. code as ‘the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics and other contraband.’ He then played video of Mayorkas telling Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, last year that DHS does have operational control of the border, and asked Ortiz if he thought Mayorkas was lying. ‘About ten years ago, we used operational control as a measuring stick of our effectiveness along the southwest border. My new strategy is geared towards mission advantage,’ Ortiz responded. Green then again referred back to Mayorkas’ remarks. ‘You heard the secretary, he said we have operational control,’ he said, before pointing to the definition. ‘That’s the definition.’ Ortiz responded: ‘Based upon the definition you have sir, up there, no.’ ‘We don’t have operational control?’ Green asked. ‘No sir,’ Ortiz said.” (“Border Patrol Chief Says DHS Doesn't Have Operational Control Of US Border,” Fox News, 3/15/2023)

Illegal Border Crossings Are Also Growing Significantly Along The Northern Border, With Crossings Up Nearly 10 Times In One Area Over The Last Year

“On the snowy border between New York and Canada, the local sheriff’s office is calling for the U.S. Border Patrol to put more manpower behind what the locals call a growing crisis: The number of illegal border crossings in the area over the last five months is nearly 10 times what it was over the same time last year, and the border crossers are in danger of freezing to death. From Oct. 1 to Feb. 28, about 2,000 migrants crossed the border between Canada and New Hampshire, Vermont and New York south through the forests, compared to just 200 crossings in the same period the previous year. The migrants are mainly from Mexico, and they can travel to Canada without visas before they cross illegally into the U.S., often to reunite with their families. Last weekend, Clinton County, New York, Sheriff David Favro’s team assisted Border Patrol in rescuing 39 migrants, some whose clothes had frozen to their bodies.” (“Border Crossings From Canada Into New York, Vermont And N.H. Are Up Tenfold. Local Cops Want Help.,” NBC News, 3/17/2023)

• “According to a CBP spokesperson, the Swanton Sector has been the site of more than 67% of all migrant crossings at the northern border across all eight sectors through February. Unlike the southern border, where over 16,000 Border Patrol agents are responsible for staffing roughly 2,000 miles, about 2,000 border agents patrol the 5,000-mile border between the U.S. and Canada, which includes Alaska’s land boundaries, making it the longest international land border in the world.” (“Border Crossings From Canada Into New York, Vermont And N.H. Are Up Tenfold. Local Cops Want Help.,” NBC News, 3/17/2023)

Meanwhile, ‘Most Fentanyl Is Being Smuggled Into The U.S. Along The Southern Border’ With The Deadly Traffic ‘Dominated By The Two Most Powerful Criminal Organizations In Mexico’

“Most fentanyl is being smuggled into the U.S. along the southern border, often in vehicles driven by American citizens, as cartels and other criminal groups in Mexico have turned the production of the synthetic opioid into a clandestine industry that has become the primary source of fentanyl in the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).” (“Fentanyl Seizures Rise At U.S.-Mexico Border — Here's Why,” CBS News, 2/03/2023)

• “The Nogales crossing is the front line of the government’s beleaguered effort to stem the flow of cheap fentanyl into the United States. The synthetic opioid is fueling the most lethal drug epidemic in U.S. history, and last year, Nogales surpassed San Diego to become the southern border’s primary gateway for fentanyl trafficking. U.S. officers have seized more than 21 million fentanyl tablets in the Nogales port of entry over the past five months, more than they did during the entire previous year, according to CBP.” (“U.S. Deploys Powerful Scanners At Border To Fight Fentanyl Smuggling,” The Washington Post, 3/09/2023)

“Mexican drug trafficking organizations manufacture the pills in clandestine labs using chemicals primarily imported from China, mass producing tablets that retail on U.S. streets for less than $5 apiece. Fentanyl trafficking is dominated by the two most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico, the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Those groups control smuggling routes through western Mexico that lead to U.S. border crossings into Arizona and California. The two states accounted for 90 percent of all the fentanyl seized by CBP during the 2022 fiscal year, according to agency data.” (“U.S. Deploys Powerful Scanners At Border To Fight Fentanyl Smuggling,” The Washington Post, 3/09/2023)

“Tunnels are also used to smuggle drugs into the United States. Earlier this year, a Homeland Security investigation uncovered a highly advanced tunnel stretching 1,700 feet from Tijuana, Mexico, to Otay Mesa, California. That tunnel had electricity and small train tracks. Authorities have no idea how long it was in operation, who was running it, and how many others like it may be left.” (“Concealed Bundles, Sophisticated Tunnels: How Fentanyl Crosses The U.S.-Mexico Border,” CBS News, 12/03/2022)