Washington DC–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) introduced Solution to the Border Crisis Act. This bill would secure the southern border by resuming construction of the border wall, strengthening management and enforcement capacity, and maintaining the rule of law.
“A record number of illegal border crossings on the Biden administration’s watch has created a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions and fueled the increased smuggling of deadly drugs such as fentanyl into our country,” Crapo said. “This ongoing crisis requires stronger and more effective leadership. Congress must act to secure the border now, as we cannot rely on the executive branch to do so.”
“Since President Biden took office, more than 4.7 million illegal immigrants — twice the population of Idaho — have been encountered at the southern border. This is a direct result of the president’s open border policies, which have catalyzed utter disaster,” Risch said. “With my legislation it is Solution to the Border Crisis Act, America would return to sensible, common-sense border policies that not only stop illegal immigration, but deter it. This legislation would resume construction of the border wall, expand Section 42, and improve equipment and resources for enforcement and border patrol. Strong border policies are the only solution to President Biden’s ever-expanding immigration disaster.”
Crapo and Risch are co-introducing the legislation by Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas).
“The Biden administration’s open border policies have encouraged the migration of millions of illegal aliens and allowed thousands of pounds of deadly fentanyl into the United States, which kills more than 70,000 Americans a year,” Hagerty said. “I am pleased to work with my colleagues to take this critical step to reject President Biden’s failed immigration policies and reinstate the last administration’s common border policies.”
“President Biden has made one bad decision after another that has created a crisis on our southern border, including stopping construction of a border wall and ending Remain in Mexico,” Tillis said. “I am proud to co-introduce this legislation to take steps to regain control of our border and stop historic levels of encounters with illegal immigrants.”
“President Biden caused the worst border crisis in history, and it’s up to Republicans to fix it,” said Budd. “We know what we need to do: Increase funding for Border Patrol, restart wall construction, reimplement the Remain in Mexico policy, and so much more. To protect our communities and restore our national security, I am proud to support Senator Risch’s bill to finally fight the Biden border crisis.”
“President Biden’s rhetoric and his administration’s open border policies are responsible for the ongoing national security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border,” Boozman said. “It will continue to rage and undermine our sovereignty until we secure and seal it, fix the flawed immigration process that invites this chaos, and enforce existing laws already on the books. This bill addresses these pressing needs, and I proud to join my colleagues in advancing this sensible solution to the Biden border crisis,
That Solution to the Border Crisis Act will:
- Resume immediately construction of border walls;
- Do the rest in Mexico program permanent;
- Rejects a Biden administration rule allowing asylum officers to process asylum applications instead of immigration judges;
- Create a sense of Congress that the President declare a national security emergency on the southern border;
- Expand title 42 until at least 120 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency;
- Require a comprehensive action plan to counter the influx of illegal migrants if section 42 is ended;
- Establish minimum staffing for immigration enforcement, border patrol and field operations agents;
- Ensure adequate detention facilities is funded to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to meet the requirements;
- Decide on customs and border protection (CBP) collects DNA from illegal migrants as authorized by law to assist in criminal investigations in the United States; and
- Require DHS to report how the agency tries to mitigate border encounters.
