The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
During the 2019 campaign, candidate Joe Biden remarked ,“We could afford to take in a heartbeat another two million,” and, “We immediately surge to the border all those people who are seeking asylum. We’re a nation that says, if you wanna flee and you’re fleeing oppression, you should come.”
On his first day as President, Joe Biden signed Executive Orders reversing former President Trump’s border policies, including ending further construction of the border wall, of which about 450 miles had already been constructed. Remain in Mexico was ended, deportations were suspended for 100 days, and interior immigration enforcement guidelines were changed. Biden would go on to end asylum agreements negotiated by the Trump administration with Central American countries and halted Trump’s pressuring of the Mexican government to secure its southern border with Guatemala.
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In Fiscal Year 2020, the last year under Trump, the U.S, Border Patrol encountered 405,000 foreign nationals illegally entering the country at the southern border in between the ports of entry. Since then, under Biden, over 8,000,000 have entered the country illegally, including about 1,000,000 “gotaways” who evaded apprehension by the Border Patrol. Record numbers not seen before in the U.S.
Former Border Patrol Chief Ortiz, stated that during his two-year tenure heading the Border Patrol, he never met or spoke with Biden or VP Harris. Current Border Patrol Chief Owens recently stated that tougher immigration policies, including jailing, should be enacted to deter people from entering the country illegally. That was a Trump policy under “zero tolerance,” which Biden ended.
Under three years of the Biden administration, a historic number of about 500,000 unaccompanied children, mostly non English speaking and undereducated, have been allowed entry into the country.
FBI Director Wray recently testified before Congress that dangerous individuals have entered the United States through the border. Venezuelan suspect Diego Ibarra has been arrested for the brutal murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia. Ibarra had illegally entered the country and was released via Parole by the Border Patrol. He was allegedly a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, that has now spread its violent tentacles across the country. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have been Paroled into the country and granted Temporary Protected Status by the Biden administration. The Biden administration has Paroled over 1,000,000 foreign nationals into the country. A historic number and an abuse of the Parole system which historically was used on an individual case by case basis.
The Border Patrol will process foreign nationals encountered at the border by doing a “limited” criminal and Terrorism Watchlist background check in their CBP database system. They do not have access to the background histories of people coming from 160 countries.
Under the Biden administration, about 3,000,000 who entered the country illegally have been released into the public, many turned over to NGOs. Over 1,000,000 have claimed asylum. Based on training and experience, I believe many are fraudulent, gaming our asylum system, knowing that they will be released from Border Patrol custody, especially as family units, with a Notice to Appear years in the future.
Contrary to President Biden’s assertions that he has done all he can do about the border, he already has the Presidential executive authority under 8 U.S.C 1182 (f) “Suspension of Aliens” to close the border. He could reinstate Trump’s border policies. Instead, he wants the Senate’s border bill passed, which would cumulatively allow over 2,000,000 foreign nationals a year to enter illegally and claim asylum. It equates to the two million Biden boasted about during the 2019 campaign. American taxpayers are now having to spend billions to shelter, feed and clothe people who entered the country illegally, burdening our public schools, criminal justice and health care systems. Biden alone caused this historic disaster.
David Burford is a retired Senior Special Agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, last assigned to the DSAC Tucson, AZ Office of Investigations.