I’ve had enough of Republicans’ lies about what’s happening at our southern border.

After Democrats passed the historic American Rescue Plan, Republicans have spent every day trying to manufacture outrage and claim a security crisis at our border. They’re spreading lies, and far too many news outlets have repeated their claims unchecked.

It’s time we correct the record.

First, let’s be clear that there is not a “crisis” or an “invasion” at the border. It’s true that we have seen an increase in the number of asylum-seeking children at our border, something that has happened under every new administration for decades. And while there is an uptick in children in our custody, it isn’t something we haven’t seen before and isn't something we can't manage.

Like DHS Secretary Mayorkas, I believe that children sleeping in overcrowded Border Patrol facilities is unacceptable and must be fixed immediately. That's why the Biden administration is working hard to get these children out of border patrol custody and into vetted, loving homes as fast as possible. That’s important.

Second, the increase in asylum seekers at our southern border didn’t start under President Biden. In the last nine months of Trump’s presidency, there was a 690% increase in children seeking asylum at our southern border. But conveniently, we didn’t hear a peep from Republicans then.

Trump did everything in his power to end asylum in the U.S. and dismantle our immigration system. He instituted cruel policies like Remain in Mexico that forced asylum seekers into tent cities along our border. He separated migrant children from their parents at the border, with hundreds still left to be reunited. He blocked more than $450 million in funding to improve conditions in Central America and address the root causes of migration. Then, he used the pandemic to expel more than 13,000 children who had fled violence and disaster.

What we’re seeing today at our southern border is a direct result of the cruelty and incompetence of Trump’s immigration agenda. He left our immigration and asylum systems in tatters, and now President Biden is working to pick up the pieces.

The Biden administration is doing everything they can to address the urgent, present needs at the border. They're working to improve conditions in Central America so families can find safety and opportunity at home, instead of having to make the dangerous journey to the U.S. And they’ve replaced Trump’s cruelty and incompetence with compassion and common sense.

The leaders of today’s Republican party are addicted to intolerance and bigotry. Right now they’re telling lies about little children seeking refuge and treating them like a national security threat. We can’t stand for that.

We need to elect leaders who actually want to solve problems, instead of creating them. That’s why I’m so thankful to have you on our side. We’re working overtime to identify and support new candidates in 2021 and 2022. I hope you’ll join us in electing a new generation of leaders who aren’t afraid to tackle these issues.

Thank you for your support,

- Julián