How States Can Fight Back to Secure the Southern Border Against Biden’s Open Door Policy
Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats refuse to admit they’re leaving the U.S. Southern Border wide open to add to their vote tallies and are seizing on the chaos to their political benefit
Originally published at American Greatness (August 7, 2023)
It’s no secret: America’s southern border is a mess and has been for decades.
Illegal immigration, deadly fentanyl, cartel activity, human trafficking, murder, fraud, and death, continue to spill over into the U.S. every day.
Despite record border crossings, and the FBI identifying a “significant criminal threat” in these areas, the Biden Administration insists: There’s nothing to see here!
With such disdain for those who want to secure our southern border states—and a need to register every border crosser they find as a voting Democrat—it’s unlikely the federal government will fix this crisis. It’s now up to the states.
Obstructionism
Donald Trump was swept into office in 2016 on a handful of promises, but one above all else: Build a border wall and end the cartel carnage crippling our nation.
He was obstructed and opposed at every turn by Democrats and the left-wing media, yet still managed to get hundreds of miles of the wall built.
When Arizona tried to tackle the crisis during the Obama-era by passing SB 1070—a measure that gave law enforcement leeway to arrest illegal immigrants and verify their status—the Supreme Court shot most of it down by a close vote of 5–3, with one recusal.
The high court’s makeup has significantly changed since 2011, which should encourage states to begin passing similar laws and leave it to the new Justices to interpret. But what should those laws and measures look like?
Don’t Mess with Texas
The best blueprint for border states is Texas, led by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He’s not only cutting state funding to sanctuary cities and empowering state law enforcement to vet those near the border, but he recently installed razor wire barriers to prevent more illegals from crossing into the U.S.
This drew fire from Biden’s Department of Justice which threatened to have it removed. Abbott replied: “See you in Court.”
In 2021 he launched “Operation Lone Star,” a joint effort to curb illegal immigration that deployed resources from the state’s Department of Public Safety and utilized the National Guard. The Texas Legislature dedicated nearly $2 billion to the initiative but is also appealing to the public for financial assistance.
The multi-agency effort has led to over 336,000 migrant apprehensions, more than 23,000 criminal arrests, and over 20,000 felony charges. With regard to fentanyl, DPS has seized over 354 million lethal doses of the powerful opioid currently plaguing the United States.
When Abbott designated the Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations via executive order in 2022 he said:
Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, and Texans are falling victim to the Mexican cartels that are producing it. . . Cartels are terrorists, and it’s time we treated them that way. In fact, more Americans died from fentanyl poisoning in the past year than all terrorist attacks across the globe in the past 100 years.
States should follow Texas’ lead of creating–or joining—Abbott’s newly formed “interstate compact” which does not require Congressional approval and brings border states together to fight the battle as one.
How Civilians Can Fight Back to Defend Their States
Texas is also leading the way in civilian involvement with H.B. 20, which would allow citizens and non-law enforcement residents to join the fight.
State Rep. Matt Schaefer’s legislation creates a “Border Protection Unit” whose officers can “arrest, detain, and deter individuals crossing the border illegally including with the use of non-deadly force.”
The bill says officers of the unit must be U.S. citizens, permanent legal residents, or have law enforcement experience. It also aims to give them immunity “from criminal and civil liability for any actions taken that are authorized” by the proposed law.
In addition, the measure would allow the unit chief to employ civilians who have not been convicted of a felony, “to participate in unit operations and functions, but such persons may not have arresting authority unless trained and specifically authorized by the governor.”
Enhance Penalties for Illegal Immigrants voting in U.S. Elections
There are currently several states near the border that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses or ID cards, most notably New Mexico, California, Nevada, and Arizona. This can open the door to voter fraud and result in an outcome that doesn’t reflect the will of the people, particularly in political swing states that are slowly turning solid blue.
Arizona, which had been holding the line on this issue, began slipping in 2016 when the Phoenix city council voted to create a city photo ID card that could be given to those living here illegally.
Earlier this year, Arizona Democrats said they wouldn’t vote for the budget if illegal immigrants weren’t issued driver’s licenses. There are reportedly over 200,000 migrants living illegally in the state—far more than enough to flip the results of an election.
States should increase penalties for voting illegally in the U.S., making it an unthinkable act—just as they have with other criminal activities committed near the border.
Arizona’s election offenders have received either small fines or light sentences instead of years behind bars.
2024 White House candidate and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis floated a plan back in March that would not only act as a counterweight to illegal immigrants using out-of-state IDs—from places like California—but would increase penalties for human smuggling, falsifying documents and force state employers to confirm an employee’s legal status.
Federal Cooperation on Finishing the Wall and Securing Border States
It’s not enough to continuously sue and hit back against the federal government. There needs to be some form of cooperation.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced a bill in mid-2022 to give unused border wall materials to states that wish to finish the project. She said:
We are witnessing a crisis of historic proportions at our Southern border under the Biden administration. President Biden’s refusal to take action at the border has been a disaster, but his decision to cancel border barrier projects that were already underway is literally costing taxpayers billions. . . Here’s a simple solution, Mr. President: let’s put these materials to use, let’s end the taxpayer-funded waste, let’s stop the unprecedented flow of illegal migrants, and let’s build it!
Even New York City’s far-left Mayor Eric Adams (D) begged the federal government last week to secure the border, calling for a “state of emergency,” adding that “we need to control the border. . . and we need to properly fund this national crisis.”
You Asked for It. You Got It.
Deportation back to an illegal alien’s country of origin seem to be the simplest route for law enforcement. Yet why not work with lawmakers in countries throughout Europe who have criticized America’s immigration policy, so they can take in Central American refugees too?
After all, it was Europe that opened its doors to millions of migrants from the Middle East over the last decade or so. In 2022 the E.U. saw its highest number of attempted entries since 2016 with 330,000 crossings. The United States can also work harder to pick out the best of the bunch, from those seeking asylum here.
If they have medical or educational training, are bi-lingual, share American values, and can work to improve the quality of life within the country, they should be the first ones considered for entry.
Until then, state governments must secure the border from terrorists trying to sneak in with migrants, cartel criminals and those who would seek to game the system so they can take the place of people more deserving.
The alternative is to continue being poisoned by narcotics, see murder rates jump, stand by as atrocities are committed against children and encourage global terrorists to walk right in the front door.
