WASHINGTON—While the crisis at our southern land border has rightly been a focus of significant media coverage the last few years, it is not the only threat to America’s sovereignty. A new investigation by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) addresses the reasons why a rise in waterborne attempts by migrants to enter the U.S. unlawfully is a risk we cannot ignore.
Because of the unprecedented violence and chaos at the southern border, migrants are increasingly turning to the seas for illegal entry into America.
“The maritime path into the U.S. typically enables would-be illegal aliens to make covert entry further into the interior, allowing them to avoid the gangs, drug cartels and other roving organized crime groups that make a full-time business out of preying upon migrants making their way to the U.S./Mexico frontier,” the report says.
The immigration agenda of the Biden Administration, the report details, has been a catalyst not only for overall higher migration numbers, but for more seaborne human smuggling.
“Since the Biden White House has abdicated control of our southern border to the cartels, it is not surprising that our maritime borders are also seeing increased activity by those trying to enter illegally,” said Dale L. Wilcox, IRLI’s executive director and general counsel. “The message has gone around the world that America’s borders can be violated without consequence. We deserve better leadership than this.”
“American has four borders,” said Matt O’Brien, IRLI’s director of investigations, whose department produced the report. “Typically, it’s the border with Mexico that gets the most attention. However, Team Biden’s immigration policies are so destructive, the complete anarchy along the southern border has increasingly caused migrants to choose the more dangerous east and west coast maritime approaches. If America’s coasts wind up awash in illegals accepting Biden’s invitation to break U.S. immigration law without penalty, the consequences for America’s economy and security will be dire.”
The full text of the report can be viewed here.
