Our current border policy under President Biden is akin to parking an ice cream truck in the middle of a minefield. We are literally enticing, if not begging, unaccompanied kids to put their lives on the line to come to the United States.
Recently, I took my second trip to the US-Mexico border, this time to El Paso, Texas, where the situation is dire. It was heartbreaking to see firsthand. And it’s getting worse. Calling it a “crisis” isn’t sufficient. And it’s certainly no ice cream truck.
But today, at our southern border, kids are walking through the minefield, traversing thousands of miles through the scorching desert, surviving cartels, rape, molestation and being dropped off of 20-foot walls in hopes of that “free candy.”
When they arrive, there is no treat waiting for them. Instead, the U.S. acts as a cardboard cutout of an ice cream truck with a music box. The Statue of Liberty, a mere mirage, now weeps over the horizon. The kids have been trafficked.
To these kids, this country now takes the form of unvetted “sponsors” who sign for the kids here in the U.S. The kids serve out their time as indentured servants, drug dealers and victims of sex slavery. They live in homes they share with 10-25 other kids in similar situations. Most of these kids are not with family members. They are victims. They are lost in the shadows. Many will become criminals themselves. And this is happening in all 50 states.
Personally I’m tired of people asking, “where is Kamala Harris?” Kamala Harris is where she has always been - propping up the cardboard ice cream truck we all know as socialism.
Biden needs to pay attention. Voters need to pay attention.
This is happening because of our president. We can’t blame anyone else. Biden has many enablers, but, as commander in chief, this is his fault.
A president should be smart enough to forecast the devastating effects of extreme policies like open borders and defunding our police and military. A president should be responsible enough to be accountable for such a tremendous humanitarian crisis, not relegate the problem to his No. 2. A president should promote law and order and be present to lead during challenging times. Biden does neither.
President Biden owns this. He owns this under the auspices of “compassion.” But in reality he is crushing kids’ lives, crippling our border patrol agents, squandering precious taxpayer dollars on people who are not citizens, and putting our nation in a most vulnerable position.
“Where’s Waldo” has as much relevance as “Where’s Kamala.” “Where’s POTUS?” is the right question. What I care about is the humanitarian and security crises emanating from this administration’s open border policies that continue to victimize these unaccompanied children and our communities.
I understand the American Dream more than most. My father immigrated legally to the United States from Mexico for the incredible opportunity this country offers. And that decision allowed me to live the dream, flying fighter jets in defense of this great nation and eventually having the honor of continuing my service in Congress. The United States is the greatest nation in the world. That’s why people from across the globe risk everything for a shot at the American Dream. But there is a legal process to do so, and that process protects our communities and those who wish to come here.
Here’s how to end this crisis:
- We must declare to the globe unequivocally that we don’t allow illegal immigration.
- We must send every available judge down to the border to adjudicate open cases.
- We must secure our border and keep Title 42 in place.
- We must complete the physical barrier system and provide Customs and Border Patrol with the resources and headcount they’ve been requesting to do their jobs correctly.
It is time to take these actions and enforce the law for the well-being of all Americans and all immigrants.