This post is a guest column submitted by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.
The already-deteriorating situation at the border is getting worse, and it is a crisis of the president’s own making and neglect. This week, President Biden ended the use of Title 42, a pandemic-era policy used to prevent illegal crossings. This action handicaps the Border Patrol and increases the incentives for illegal immigration. To no one’s surprise, tens of thousands of migrants have flocked to the border in anticipation of relaxed entry rules.
The Biden administration has had over two years to prepare for this moment, but they have refused to act. Instead, they are relying on last-minute stopgaps – including sending 1,500 active-duty troops to handle paperwork at the border. Border Patrol agents are already dealing with record levels of illegal crossings, and now they are preparing for a 300 percent swell – up to 18,000 migrants per day. The chaos that will follow the end of Title 42 will be among the most predictable border crises in recent memory.
Biden Is Not Prepared for a Surge of His Own Making
When I visited the border in March, I described the situation as President Biden’s self-inflicted wound. For years, he has decided to abdicate responsibility. He told the world our border was open by embracing the “catch and release” policy, ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and stopping construction of President Trump’s wall. He named an ineffective border czar, Vice President Kamala Harris, who could not be bothered to visit the border until three months after her appointment. The president benched Border Patrol agents, assigning them to desk work instead of giving them the tools they need to do the job. It is no wonder that illegal crossings have increased every year of his presidency. To hide the scale of the problem, the Biden administration even relocated migrants to U.S. cities in the dead of night.
Realizing a crisis was developing at the border, both Democrats and Republicans expressed concern about ending Title 42. But instead of listening to good sense and equipping officials on the ground, the administration has thrown together a slap-dash plan. Their eleventh-hour tactics cannot begin to address the coming surge.
Unused Border Wall Materials Cost Taxpayers Millions
In a particularly galling move, the Biden administration has chosen to waste millions of dollars simply to avoid building the border wall. As the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I led an investigation that found the Department of Defense is spending $130,000 every day to store unused border wall panels. We also learned that some states offered to purchase the materials and install the barriers themselves. Instead of allowing the panels to be used for their intended purpose, the administration decided to pay millions of dollars a month to keep them in storage.
In response to our findings, I introduced the FINISH IT Act. The legislation would force the Department of Defense either to use the wall materials or send them to willing border states. Every dollar Congress gives to the Department of Defense should further national security, which begins with safe and secure borders. Defense funding should not be used to block projects the administration does not like.
The FINISH IT Act is just one way in which I am calling on the president to take the border seriously. Republicans stand ready to hold his administration accountable for actions it takes – or refuses to take – to secure our border, enforce our laws, and keep our communities safe.
41 comments:
"Nips" or "neeps" are Scottish slang for turnips.
Biden and the fake pope who inspired him to throw open our border are globalists who absolutely despise American sovereignty.
Biden, in his diminished and crooked thinking, believes he can pay for his family treason by giving America away to the peasant invasion.
And what has Senator Wicker contributed to finding a lasting solution to the immigration crisis?
Wait, I was told to not worry because Kamala was in charge of the border. What happened ?
Are Biden and Chowke related? Maybe alumni of the same school of woke incompetence?
Xiden, err, Biden has sent 1,500 troops to the border to register future Dem voters.
This is on both parties, these idiots knew and did nothing. They sure didn’t say anything about the Caribbean Corridor a few months ago. There was basically a naval blockade in the Florida straits, all ships diverted, aircraft, translators, and medical personnel that could be spared was sent to the Florida Keys because there were so many coming.
Wicker is part of the problem, Kennedy and Cassidy over in LA are true statesmen. We got Comrade Cindy and Roger the Dodger.
The immigration system is/has been dysfunctional for decades under both Republican and Democratic administrations. That being said, the Biden administration appears to have been asleep at the wheel, and not proactive in dealing effectively with an increasingly out of control crisis. Though immigration is a multifaceted issue, the solution is simple, its execution complicated. Common sense dictates securing the border ---put a moratorium on ALL admissions to the country for a period of time. It makes no sense to continue to allow people in when there are inadequate resources to meet their needs,or the needs of the immigrants already here. It makes no sense to bring people in, and have them wait for an asylum hearing that is likely to be years away. It makes no sense to expect border states to bear the brunt of the crisis --- people sleeping on the streets of a city is deplorable, destroys the quality of life of its legal residents, and is economically devastating. The desperation of people fleeing to America is heartbreaking. However, there is no right to asylum here. It is a privilege, and with that privilege comes responsibility to adhere to the law.
Wicker is barely smarter than Tuberville.
Nobama is behind the curtain calling the shots. There is a reason why Nobama bought a McMansion in Georgetown (WDC) for his Marxist command post.
Disingenuous, last minute political positioning now that the damage is unavoidable.
Mayorkas said the quite part out load yesterday when he said businesses needed labor. This is intentional chaos designed to supply their big corporate cronies with cheap labor so they can increase profits and then donate even more to the DNC.
Maybe one of the Biden's 20+ shell companies specialize in border protection. I figure with the money they were getting their has to be something they could do to help us.
12:11 the Biden administration appears to have been asleep at the wheel, and not proactive in dealing effectively with an increasingly out of control crisis.
I find it hard to believe that there are people in this country that continue to think that this was not done be design. I have to think that those that think like that must have voted for him, and have trouble accepting the fact that they are complicit in this. Biden, and his handlers, are doing EXACTLY what they planned to do. Idiocracy writ large.
The heavyweight monied political donors who contribute to the campaigns of Wicker, of Biden, of all politicians (some of whom are reading these words), this is part of what they pay for, allowing the floodgates to remain open and keeping wages low and profits high.
11:47am
Funny snark but half truth in your comment. The whole third world invite and catastrophic conseqiences have been quite intentional.
I am Catholic and understand guilt pang relief: penance for sin exchange, common among us Catholocs. Biden knows he is damned in history if not also to hell, for his treasonous quid pro quo money laundered influence peddling benefitting himself and whole extended family, but (fake) pope wants open borders.
So Biden figures to buy his way outta hell by going globalist on border infiltration, bigly. At the same time, Obamunists like Susan Rice assure Biden that historic heroism is his if he instills marxist conversion, "boldly".
Both parties know to stay the F out of my way.
Roger, too little too late! Maybe you should have started caring before now.
The Bidel Cartel makes the Corelone family look like rookies-
Blah, blah, blah.....Trumph Forever!
Senator Wicker,
The FINISH IT ACT has no chance of passing. It was merely proposed as a means to have a talking point to attempt to beat up Dems in the next election cycle. The problem is that only resonates with conservative voters -- preaching to the choir -- and the Dem voters will ignore it.
What are you going to do about the border that will be effective? What are you going to do that has any chance of actually passing congress and closing our wide open borders?
BTW, no rational informed person believes that Biden is negligent or or not taking the border issue seriously or incompetent on border issue. He and the Dems are INTENTIONALLY and very seriously keeping the border wide open anticipating that every illegal that enters the US will one day be a permanent Dem vote. They know exactly what they are doing. So, do yourself and the American public a favor and face reality and call it what it is, an INTENTIONAL ACT by the Dems to permanently shift the control of our nation in their favor. Call a spade a spade! There is not other explanation.
Wickery trickery.
One way to fix illegal immigration is to allow a lot more legal immigration. We need to increase the labor supply, and there are millions of people that want to come here from Latin America and beyond. Jackson, particularly, would benefit from significant migration into the core metro area, providing labor and revitalizing the inner city areas that simply lack people. It's probably the most viable path to grow our state population; ain't like Americans are just clamoring to move to Mississippi.
Let's buck the trend and ask the federal government to re-settle legal migrants and asylum seekers in Mississippi. Hell, turn ship island into Ellis Island South.
If I was poor and living off the gubmint, the last thing I would want is an open border and millions of illegals coming into my country to further dilute the benefits I receive and cause more inflation caused by more demands on goods and services. But the poor and stupid vote for the political party that always cause them more misery. Guess this is why they are poor, no ability to think for themselves.
its coming. wait for it
Roger Wicker's warmongering and fiscal recklessness are making all of our lives worse with high inflation and the inevitable decline in the dollar, but Mississippians will reelect that boob again next year.
So, people can make fun of the Mayor on this blog but not Trump????? You are a bigger idiot than I realized.
@1:28 - the point of this is not to get anything done. The angrier Roger can sound, the more scared his constituents will get. He will get guest spots on conservative tv where he can stir up his rage porn with like minded tv personalities. This will lead to more donations. All the crappy politicians use the same formula as it has been proven over and over again.
1:52pm
MSippians don't know about Latin American gangs, their rape and murder culture. Don't let downtown Jackson go barrio-badass, you'll see Cartel and MS13's victims hanging from I-55 over-head trussed signage. Meth, Fentanyl and Heroin flop houses and child sex slave whore houses.
Get the illegals back to whence they came. BTW, blacks used to provide much of the concrete flatwork, roofing, sheetrock, painting and masonry construction in Jackson, skilled labor contractors making middle class incomes, but now illegal aliens are doing it.
Typical squish republican. You'll not see another dime from me until the republicans actually do something besides lining your own pockets.
Simply close the border. Let no one in until the thousands already here waiting on hearings can be processed.
" Let's buck the trend and ask the federal government to re-settle legal migrants and asylum seekers in Mississippi. Hell, turn ship island into Ellis Island South."
Nah, leave Ship Island out of this fiasco.
But by all means ... re-settle these unvetted migrants and "asylum seekers" into Jackson, Mississippi.
That might help our capitol city in the long run.
Hell, there may even be a few water/sewer and traffic light technicians among these new folks.
The black inner city is starting to really push back in many US cities. They claim this will silence their voices and change the electorate in their communities. Bennie better wake up bc black e farm workers already filed lawsuit against the illegals working on farms
Roger "The RINO" Wicker has a firm grasp on the obvious.
Wicker is just worthless. With that said, all that on that border is that fault of Biden and Markoykas. Anybody that voted for Biden voted this crap that we all will have to deal with on top of everything else. This will be on the taxpayers for the schools, hospitals, etc. Not to mention benefits for these people. Nobody is checking who these people are or not to mention if they have a disease.
Sure, Democrats want to flood the country with illegal aliens. But I’ll tell you a little secret: So does Roger.
Seems like everything was pretty tame, Fox could hardly find a story they liked.
Roger Wicker does not have the intellectual wherewithal to sort any of this out. He's not a deep-thought analysis type of guy.
And having a motive would require that intellectual ability. He has magically far-exceeded the boundaries set by the Peter Principle.
The border crisis is an issue that will evaporate, besides it’s right next to abortion, keep harping on it and let’s see how many votes that gets you outside of Missippi.
Wicker, One of 12 GOP senators who voted against Trumps border wall. A few months later got an award from the National Chamber of Commerce who loves the border being open for cheap labor. Sorry Wicker you are all talk till it comes to voting. Just like preaching against government spending but then votes for every omnibus bill that comes along & then runs home for the holidays. I'll never vote for this fake phoney "conservative" swamp creature.
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