Bilirakis Condemns Biden Border Crisis, Urges Immediate Action
Washington, DC: Earlier today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis took to the House Floor to condemn the Biden Border Crisis and to urge his colleagues to abandon the radical policies that are fueling the historic onslaught of illegal border crossings. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 1.4 million illegal border crossings. These record-high apprehensions keep increasing, with no end in sight. The Biden Administration has not responded to requests for detailed information about how it plans to stop the newest expected surge with a caravan of migrants currently headed through Mexico to the U.S. southern border.
"The problem is actually much worse than these already staggering numbers suggest," warned Congressman Bilirakis. "When I spoke with Border Patrol Agents during my recent visit to the southern border, they confirmed that they are only able to apprehend a fraction of the people, drugs, and weapons illegally entering the country as they are simply overwhelmed by the dramatic increases. These brave public servants noted the extreme difficulties associated with trying to keep our country secure without a physical barrier along portions of the border.
Out of the 1.4 million people who have been apprehended while trying to illegally gain access to the country, more than 283,000 have been released into the United States. Approximately 95,000 illegal immigrants were released with a "Notice to Report." Based upon previous patterns of behavior, it is reasonable to assume that many of these individuals will fail to comply with their order to report back later and will simply disappear within the country. This represents a significant security risk.
Instead of addressing what has become a humanitarian, health and national security problem, the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats keep announcing plans that will only exacerbate the problem, Bilirakis cautioned. For example, the Administration has discussed paying illegal immigrants settlement payments of up to $450,000. These individuals broke the law by entering the country. If they are compensated for doing so, it will encourage even more people to break the law.
"I am also extremely concerned that while it does not contain one dollar to add additional Border Security Agents, the proposed tax and spending bill currently being pushed through the House contains includes amnesty for up to 10 million illegal immigrants and $100 billion in tax-payer funded benefits for them," Bilirakis added."These irresponsible proposals and dangerous open border policies will continue to fuel the crisis and encourage more illegal activity at the border. We must secure our borders and ensure that the rule of law applies to everyone."
To listen to Bilirakis's message in its entirety, click here.