The influx of illegal migrants at the southern border is a direct result of weak policies and negligence by the Biden administration. For months, we have seen historic numbers of migrants pour through the southern border unchecked.
The ignorance of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris has resulted in local cities left to fight the crisis alone.
At the forefront of these weak policies and impressive ability to turn a blind eye is Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. When asked whether he agreed with the declaration that the situation at the border is in fact a crisis, he replied, “I think that the — the answer is no. I think there is a challenge at the border that we are managing, and we have our resources dedicated to managing it.”
Secretary Mayorkas’ visit to the Rio Grande Valley is too little too late. For months, the situation has been spiraling out of control, yet Secretary Mayorkas has minimized the crisis through its entirety.
It’s incredible to believe that the DHS secretary would deny that the situation at the border is anything short of a humanitarian crisis, unparalleled to anything seen before. In June, there was an average of 14,000 apprehensions per week in the Rio Grande Valley alone, totaling a new 21-year high.
Mayorkas is also responsible for ending the successful “remain in Mexico” policy by the Trump administration. The removal of this policy has resulted in migrants being permitted to stay in the United States instead of being sent back to Mexico. The consequences have been catastrophic as they have resulted in an overwhelmed system compounded with a shortage of Border Patrol officers.
The Biden administration’s border policies have been disastrous. Biden’s budget requests no new funding for the DHS at a time when border crossings are at a 21-year high, an insult to our Border Patrol officers and immigration officials. Instead of providing our Border Patrol officers with the funding they need and deserve, Biden is attempting to save face by sending Mayorkas to the Valley, which is sure to result in no solution to the crisis.
The influx of illegal migrants through the border has also led to a COVID health crisis, especially in Texas cities. Unable to keep up with the surge, Border Patrol agents are unable to test everyone who enters the border. This, coupled with the Biden administration’s unwillingness to enforce Title 42, has resulted in infected migrants being released throughout the United States.
Since the inauguration of Joe Biden, the Department of Homeland Security has refused to create a policy to test individuals illegally entering the country.
This negligence alone has resulted in the release of more than 7,000 COVID-19-positive migrants in McAllen since February and a 900% increase in the number of illegal immigrants testing positive for COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley during the first two weeks of July alone.
Local elected officials, such as Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, in conjunction with the Biden administration, need to step up and face the truth. For too many months they have turned their backs on the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley.
Instead of putting an end to the border crisis by eradicating the administration’s open border policies, Mayorkas has instead decided to direct his attention to the legitimate political refugees of Cuba and Haiti.
Recently, he stated, “The time is never right to attempt migration by sea … to those who risk their lives doing so, this risk is not worth taking. Allow me to be clear: If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States.”
Mayorkas has repeatedly criticized Trump-era border policies, such as the building of the border wall. However, he fails to provide solutions to the crisis himself. His visit to the border this week comes with little anticipation and hopes of resolving the crisis.
Mayorkas would do well to listen to those directly affected by the border crisis and not turn a blind eye as was done by Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to El Paso.
Richard Ruiz is a grocery distributor in Edinburg.
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