Border Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam President, once again, I am here today to talk about the crisis at our southern border and the continued dismantling of our Nation's immigration system by this administration.

The border has been dominating the headlines, but if you talked to the liberals, you wouldn't know it. While we were back home working in our States, Democrats focused on everything but the border. President Biden released a so-called infrastructure proposal that is not actually about infrastructure; it is nothing more than the Green New Deal in disguise, and it raises taxes on hard-working Americans.

Additionally, large corporations and Major League Baseball decided to give in to the demands of the woke, liberal mob based on nothing more than pure disinformation.

I know President Biden and Democrats would rather talk about those issues than confront the dire situation at the southern border. They are trying to pull a con job on the American people. Well, we are not going to let President Biden distract from a crisis of his own making.

In a recent House hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas made a ridiculous claim that ``the border is secure.'' To say the border is secure is laughable. I recently joined Senators Cornyn and Cruz and other colleagues on a visit to the southern border to see for ourselves, and I can tell you and the American people without hesitation, the border is not secure. Reports just don't do it justice. It is a disaster. As an American who believes in the rule of law, I was embarrassed. This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem; it is an American problem. This crisis is a stain on our Nation.

What we saw on our trip broke my heart--so many young, unaccompanied children sent on a dangerous journey north by their parents because this administration promised to take them in. The compassion shown by the Border Patrol agents was clear. These brave men and women are doing all they can to make the best out of a terrible situation--a situation created by our President and his administration.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: The situation happening at our southern border was predictable and preventable. The Border Patrol folks know this will happen and that it would happen. They told us how they asked the Border Patrol before the inauguration to give them time to prepare for any changes to the immigration policy, but President Biden didn't listen. He was more interested in appeasing the globalists who demanded he immediately end President Trump's successful border policies.

On his first day in office, President Biden reversed President Trump's policies and signaled to the world that the American border was open. President Biden gave Border Patrol little to no warning. The result has been a border that is not run by the United States; it is run by the Mexican cartel and human smugglers.

What is worse, it is not just people who are coming in illegally. While I was down at the border, I saw firsthand how criminals take advantage of the situation. Cartels send migrants to specific locations along the border to preoccupy law enforcement while moving illegal drugs at other crossing points. On a midnight visit to the Rio Grande, these traffickers actually taunted us from across the river, yelling and flashing their lights. They know the Biden administration is unwilling to confront them, and because the administration won't confront them, we have seen massive increases in drug seizures.

In January and February alone, Customs and Border Patrol seizures of fentanyl were up 277 percent compared to the same time in 2020. Cocaine seized at the border is up 62 percent. And, remember, whether it is people or drugs, these numbers only account for those we catch. There are many more drug runners who get through undetected.

Secretary Mayorkas has said the administration's goal is a safe, legal, and orderly immigration system. Well, so far, he and they have failed on all three. The immigration system under the Biden administration is not safe. By encouraging the migrants to come to the border, President Biden has empowered the drug cartels and coyotes who prey on desperate people.

According to Mexican intelligence assessments, it costs an unaccompanied Central American minor between $3,000 and $10,000 to be secured across the U.S. border. An open border also invites wolves in sheep's clothing. According to Customs and Border Protection, at least four people have been arrested in the last few months at the border who match names on the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database. There is no doubt that those who wish harm will take advantage of this crisis to infiltrate our country.

The Biden administration also is not enforcing the laws written by Congress. That is why I joined with 39 of my Republican colleagues to send a letter to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to investigate President Biden's unilateral decision to freeze funds for the border wall.

Congress specifically appropriated funds for border wall construction. I believe the President's actions infringe on Congress's constitutional power of the purse. I hope the GAO will quickly look into this so we can begin to restore border security.

Finally, the immigration system under the Biden administration is not orderly. In fact, it is chaotic. Our Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed. In March of this year, Border Patrol arrested more than 170,000 migrants crossing the border illegally. That is the worst month in 15 years. To put that in perspective for the folks back home, that means there are more illegal migrants rushing our border in 1 month than the entire population of Lee County, AL, where I live.

Last month, more than 18,700 unaccompanied minors were taken into custody by the Border Patrol. That is double the number they encountered in February.

This chaos is due entirely to President Biden's careless words and foolish policies. The Biden administration is content to let all who come here illegally stay. That is a recipe for disaster. The result is a border catastrophe.

I have spoken previously about commonsense actions to secure the border, such as continuing to build the wall and reinstating Migrant Protection Protocols. Here is one more. I recently introduced a bill that would require DHS to issue a notice to appear--called an NTA--to every migrant who is processed at the border.

We cannot--we cannot continue to release illegal immigrants into our country without establishing some accountability, such as a date for immigration court. At best, it hurts those who come to this country actually looking to plead their asylum case. At worst, it is giving free rein to those who enter our country illegally.

The Biden administration says they want humane and compassionate improvements to our immigration system. Releasing someone without an NTA is neither.

My bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security to revoke any status and work authorization from a migrant who doesn't show up for their court date. This mandate will curb the pull factors embedded in our immigration system and cut down on incentives for illegal immigration. It is a small but meaningful step. It is about restoring integrity in our immigration system.

President Biden has made weak attempts to turn back the tide of migrants, even telling them: ``Don't come.'' President Biden's actions speak louder than those two feeble words. Well, Mr. President, as we say in Alabama, you are a day late and a dollar short.

My Republican colleagues and I will continue to demand action from the President on this crisis on behalf of the legal citizens of the United States of America. I stand ready to work with the President and his administration on commonsense solutions to secure the border, strengthen national security, and protect the American people.

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