The Trump-era Title 42 policy for the U.S-Mexico border, expires Thursday.
A border that is largely being controlled by Mexico-based drug cartels and human traffickers has seen millions of illegal immigrants streaming across it over the past two years, and it’s about to get a lot worse, as the Biden Administration gives up the sovereignty of the country and the security of her borders by allowing Title 42 to expire.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan on Thursday called the situation an unprecedented catastrophe.
“The biggest falsehood being peddled in Washington, D.C. right now and to the American people is that our border is secure,” he said in a press conference today.
“There have been more than six million illegal crossings since President Biden assumed office. Now that Title 42 is expiring, daily illegal crossings are expected to triple. Alaskans and Americans in all 50 states are experiencing the toll of this avoidable tragedy,” Sullivan said in a written statement.
Border Patrol agents have been instructed to release illegal immigrants into the country without any requirement for a court hearing. Over 40,000 have amassed at the border in anticipation of the flood gates opening. In Mexican towns along the Rio Grande, stores have not been able to keep up with inventory of pool floats and life jackets for migrants preparing to swim across the Rio Grande River into Brownsville Texas. In Tijuana, thousands have been camping along the border fence waiting for Thursday.
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz sent the instructions Wednesday, asking senior officials in the agency to begin the mass parole of illegal migrants ahead of the end of Title 42, according to The Daily Caller, which received exclusive documentation of the new parole policy. The illegal immigrants will be “parole[d] with conditions,” that require them to schedule a court date with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or request service of a Notice to Appear according to the instructions. But they’re being paroled into America with no tracking technology, and will be completely unsupervised.
“It is a humanitarian crisis. It is a national security crisis. It is a health crisis. Hundreds of thousands of children have been trafficked and exploited. Based on the numbers of those apprehended, it is obvious that thousands of criminals, including individuals on the terrorist watch-list, are illegally entering our country. Drug overdoses – largely driven by fentanyl – are now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45. In 2021, drug overdose deaths in Alaska increased by the largest percentage of any state,” Sullivan’s statement said.
“Even the most rural parts of Alaska are feeling the impact of Biden’s open southern border. And believe me, it is wide open. Anyone in the Biden administration or media who continues to peddle the falsehood that the border is secure should just go there and watch illegal immigrants cross the Rio Grande in the middle of the night by the hundreds.
“As I’ve said before, this is a dereliction of duty by the President. President Biden has created a tragedy of immense proportions. In his first 100 days, Joe Biden stopped construction of the border wall, halted deportations and suspended the successful ‘remain in Mexico’ policy. He continues to threaten to veto legislation that would mandate many proven solutions and also continues to advocate for real cuts to the Border Patrol. The President needs to do his job, enforce the law, and end the incentives feeding this crisis immediately.”
Sullivan is a co-sponsor of the Border Security Act which would redirect $15 billion from IRS enforcement funds that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act to instead be spent on border security. The legislation is endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, the exclusive representative of approximately 18,000 Border Patrol agents and support personnel assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol.
In March 2021, Sullivan visited the southern border on a congressional delegation trip with U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.).
In August 2022, all 50 Senate Democrats blocked Senator Sullivan’s amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act that would have directed $500 million to be allocated to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure the southern border. The funds were instead earmarked for sustainability and environmental programs at the Department of Homeland Security.
