Editor:
It is estimated that more than 10 million people have entered our country illegally during the Biden Administration. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) reported that in Fiscal Year 2023, there were nearly 2.5 MILLION encounters at our southern border, making last year the highest number of encounters ever recorded in a one year period. Add to that the nearly two million people who are known “got aways” and the countless more who are unknown— and the invasion at our southern border starts to take focus.
We recently visited the Arizona-Mexico border at the invitation of Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels, to observe their efforts to stem drug and human trafficking in that region. We had the opportunity to ride along with the local law enforcement officers – from the Sheriff’s office, AZ Highway Patrol, and Homeland Security, to name a few – while they engaged in enforcement activity to deter and apprehend those illegally crossing the border.
What we saw and what we heard from these officers made clear that the open border has consequences far greater than many of us realized. The failure to control who is entering the country allows deadly drugs to come in and be shipped to communities across the nation. It allows for America’s enemies to gain easy access, undetected, and plan for attacks against our citizens. It creates a lawless environment that promotes human trafficking, enabling the abuse of women and children.
The CBP operates by manning several checkpoints on roads leading from the border, which are designed to identify trafficking. All vehicles entering the U.S. are required to stop at the checkpoints and be screened by agents. During our trip not a single checkpoint was open. Local officers explained that many CBP officers are pulled to help process the “give ups” elsewhere. “Give ups” are asylum seekers who want to be detained so that they can be processed, released, and likely receive public assistance.
The Cartels, looking to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people into the country, use this to their advantage. They flood certain areas with asylum seekers while their smugglers enter elsewhere. The people that are entering this way are the ones who have likely already been deported and are ineligible for asylum or who have criminal histories. After entering the country, they spend years working off their debts to the cartels as modern-day slaves.
What we saw at the border was horrifying, but sadly, is only the tip of the iceberg.
Bisbee, Arizona, where we were, is almost 2,000 miles away from most of Ohio, but the crime from Bisbee can be found right in our backyards. Drugs from the border are killing Ohioans. There are illegal immigrants in Ohio right now working to pay off their debts to the cartel and taking advantage of public assistance programs. Some Ohio law enforcement officers have even warned, after being briefed by the Director of the FBI, that we could have terrorists in our state as a result. The open border policies of the Biden administration have turned every community into a border community. It is well-past time to fix this issue.
It is time to close our border and reinstate sane security measures. Based upon recent polling, most Americans believe there is a crisis at our Southern border. We need to end catch and release, restart the construction of the border wall, and protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking. We must also deploy advanced surveillance technology, such as drones and sensors, to enhance our ability to detect and deter illegal crossings. Additionally, increase the number and enhance pay for the men and women of our Border Patrol so what I saw in Arizona doesn’t continue to happen.
We cannot let this crisis continue and we have to act now to secure our borders before it is too late.
Ohio Auditor Keith Faber
Preble County Sheriff Michael Simpson
