Recently, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed there is an “acute and immediate need” to bypass federal laws and construct a border wall along the southern border of Texas as illegal immigration has surged.
The Biden administration has previously been dismissive of the idea of taking such action to secure the southern border in the past. However, the DHS posted an announcement on the U.S. Federal Register explaining a “high entry point” in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, where reportedly almost 250,000 migrant encounters have occurred this fiscal year.
“The Secretary of Homeland Security has determined, pursuant to law, that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border in Starr County, Texas,” the announcement read.
Secretary Mayorkas claims he will use his authority to waive approximately 26 federal laws to expedite the construction of necessary barriers. The Endangered Species Act, The Clean Air Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act are among some regulations being skirted.
“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996],” Mayorkas said.
The recent surge in illegal immigration is straining the interior infrastructure in the United States, forcing Democrats to reevaluate their stance on the southern border. The Biden administration has historically maintained a strong stance against the border initiatives taken by former President Donald Trump, promising to end new construction of the border wall.
However, as Mayorkas demonstrated with his recent announcement, the hands-off approach to the border cannot continue, particularly when Customs and Border Protection reported over 260,000 encounters just in September, setting a monthly record.
The Trump campaign commented on the ensuing border crisis, vindicating the initiatives of the former president. “President Trump is always right,” Mr. Trump’s campaign stated. “That’s why he built close to 500 miles of powerful new wall on the border, and it would have been finished by now. Instead, Crooked Joe Biden turned our country into one giant sanctuary for dangerous criminal aliens.”
In recent years, Republican leaders of southern red states have been forced to take the migrant crisis into their own hands. For example, Texas Governor Greg Abbott embarked on successful busing campaigning, shipping thousands of illegal immigrants to supposed liberal “sanctuary cities.” These initiatives have forced Democrats to admit there is an illegal immigration crisis, leading them to petition the federal government to take action.
New York City, in particular has seen an explosion in its migrant population, exacerbating a preexisting homelessness crisis. Leaders in New York City and the state of New York describe the urgency of the situation. New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently called for the Biden administration to limit the influx of illegal immigrants into the country, as they are flocking to her state.
“Well, we want them to have a limit on who can come across the border. It is too open right now,” Hochul said. “People coming from all over the world are finding their way through simply saying they need asylum.”
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