Crapo: President Must Take Steps to Secure the Border Now

Press Release

The southern border saw record-high illegal border crossings in 2021, and encounters are expected to skyrocket again this year once the Administration rescinds Title 42, a public health measure that allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to prohibit entry into the United States to those who pose certain public health risks. U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following video statement, calling on President Biden to secure the border now.

"The southern border saw a record high of two million illegal border crossings in 2021.

"Without stronger enforcement of our immigration laws, the numbers are expected to skyrocket again this year.

"On his first days in office, the Biden Administration terminated the national emergency at the border, halted border wall construction and relaxed a number of effective immigration enforcement policies.

"These actions encouraged a flood of individuals seeking to enter the U.S. illegally, contributed to a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions and fueled the increased smuggling of deadly drugs such as fentanyl into our country.

"The decades-high surge at the southern border hasn't been limited to those in contiguous countries using Mexico as a port of entry into the U.S.

"The number of apprehended individuals from locations as far away as India, Turkey and Eastern Europe have significantly risen as well.

"This demonstrates our current border enforcement weakness as a perceived invitation for illegal entry to individuals all across the globe and a significant threat to national security.

"This ongoing crisis commands a stronger, more effective leadership.

"I recently joined colleagues in sending a letter to the Administration urging it to focus on securing our borders, enforcing all immigration laws and providing all necessary resources to the U.S. immigration enforcement agencies to remove all who violate our laws.

"The President must take steps to secure the border now."

Senator Crapo signed a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security demanding information on the Department's plans to secure the border once the Biden Administration rescinds Title 42.

Earlier this week, Senator Crapo also joined fellow Idahoan Senator Jim Risch to introduce the Stop Fentanyl Border Crossings Act, which will expand Title 42 authority to turn back migrants to combat prolific drug smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border.

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