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I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: President 'Could Not Have Created a Worse Situation if He Had
Tried'
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Last week, I traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with a delegation of
Republican senators. Revisiting the border underscored what I already knew:
President Biden has lost control of the situation. In the previous
administration, President Trump reined in the national security and
humanitarian crisis, demonstrating that strong border policy works.

By halting deportations, expanding “catch and release,” and resisting the
“Remain in Mexico” policy, President Biden told the world we have an open
border. He could not have created a worse situation if he had tried.


The Border Spirals Out of Control


President Biden’s continued disregard for the crisis threatens national
security. I spoke with local, state, and federal officials about the real-world
consequences.

On the first night in Texas, I joined Border Patrol agents as they
apprehended individuals and families sneaking across the border. Those arrests
are drops in the bucket compared to the one million encounters officials have
already experienced in 2023. This year’s encounter rate outpaces that of 2022,
which outpaced that of 2021. The chaotic situation may get even worse on May
11th when Title 42, a COVID-era policy limiting immigration in a public health
emergency, ends.

Border officials face incursions from the ground and from the skies. Rio
Grande Valley Sector Chief Gloria Chavez told our delegation that Mexican
cartels use drones to surveil the Border Patrol, violating U.S. airspace 10,000
times in 2022. Meanwhile, the Border Patrol’s fleet of surveillance blimps is
dwindling and needs replenishment.

One of the most startling things I heard came from a border agent who said
his office has never heard from Vice President Harris – or her staff – even
though President Biden deputized her to solve our immigration challenges. This
is the latest example of the Biden administration failing to take the crisis
seriously – something I haveurged them to do
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. If the administration refuses to do simple things, like staying in contact
with border officials, there is little hope for progress.


The Crisis Hurts the Vulnerable


Spending time at the border also highlighted the human cost of the crisis. On
the south side of the border, cartels reign. They traffic guns, drugs, and even
humans, creating a dangerous environment for migrants and locals. On the trip,
I also learned most female migrants are, tragically, victims of violence as
they move north to the border.

The effects of the crisis are not limited to border towns. Because of the
cartels, Mexico has surpassed China as the top originator of the fentanyl found
all over the United States. Today, it is the leading cause of death among
American adults ages 18-42. I grieve with the many Mississippi communities that
have lost loved ones to this dangerous drug.


Good Policies Can Heal This Self-Inflicted Wound


Border officials know the situation better than anyone, and they agree our
approach is not working. They urge us to enforce our existing laws, reinstate
proven policies, and equip our Border Patrol to do what they do best.

I have called on President Biden to fund the border wall
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–a project with bipartisan history
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. He should also obey the courts and enforce the “Remain in Mexico” policy,a
program that worked well under the Trump administration
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.

Finally, it is time to support the Border Patrol. They need upgraded
surveillance capabilities, less time at the desk, and more time on the beat.

This border crisis is the Biden administration’s self-inflicted wound. It is
an avoidable problem President Biden has the power to fix. To get started, he
should return to the policies that worked just two years ago.



You can click here to share my Op-Ed with your friends on Facebook!
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Thank you for your support,



Senator Roger Wicker


 
Donate to Roger Wicker Here.
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Please mail contributions to P.O. Box 64, Jackson, MS 39205



Paid for by Wicker for Senate.



You can also keep up with Roger Wicker on Twitter
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