Maintaining secure borders is essential to our national security, sovereignty, economic stability, and public health. It is the fundamental duty of the government to safeguard its citizens and their interests. However, President Joe Biden’s radical open border policies have directly put every community at risk.
Since President Biden took office, there have been over 6.2 million illegal crossings of our southern border. This includes 169 encounters with individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watch list, not to mention the countless individuals that were not captured. In addition, it is estimated that cartels are raking in over $13 billion annually by smuggling illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the United States. To put this into perspective, in 2023 alone, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized over 25,000 pounds of fentanyl at our southern border. Yet, despite this historic crisis, President Biden has only visited the border once during his time in office.
The consequences of these policy failures are significant. Every community is now a border community, affecting the lives of Americans from coast to coast.
The Biden Administration has neglected its duty to keep our borders safe, putting the lives of Americans in danger. This failure to close our borders allows deadly illicit drugs to pour into our communities, contributing to the opioid crisis that has claimed countless lives. Over 100,000 Americans died last year due to drug overdoses, approximately 70,000 due to fentanyl type drugs; a crisis that could have been mitigated if our borders were secure. President Biden’s inaction on this matter is nothing short of a dereliction of his most basic duty to keep American citizens safe.
In September alone, there were 267,735 illegal immigrants encountered at our southern border, a 300 percent increase from September of 2020. This is the 31st consecutive month, where illegal immigrant encounters have been higher than even the highest month seen under President Trump.
House Republicans are the only ones who have taken concrete steps to address the border crisis, demonstrating their commitment to putting the American people first. President Biden must step up, take action and prioritize the safety and security of the nation over political considerations.
The individuals arrested at our border are often part of criminal organizations that have operated with near impunity since Biden took office, posing a threat to Americans in every state. This situation is not only unfair to our border agents and American citizens but also to the immigrants who came to our country seeking a better life and followed the legal path to citizenship.
While Iowa may not be a border state, our communities are deeply affected by the fentanyl crisis. Each life lost to an overdose represents a devastating blow to our state. We must remember that these lives could be saved if we secured our borders and stopped the flow of these deadly drugs.
It is imperative that Congress acts decisively to secure our borders and protect the American people. The crisis at the southern border is not just a regional problem; it’s a national issue that impacts us all. We have a moral obligation to prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens, and it’s high time that President Biden takes a stand and does the same.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks currently represents Iowa’s First District in the United States House of Representatives.