Democratic rhetoric on border security appears to be evolving, as border encounters rise and the November midterms near.
On Thursday’s “Morning Wire,” Georgia Howe and John Bickley discussed the Democrats’ shifting border policy.
A shocking reference to border security by President Biden in his State of the Union speech on March 1 was noted by Johnson.
“The word has gone down through the party ranks,” he added. The Capitol Hill Daily Roll Call released a piece headed, “Democrats Emphasize Border Security as Midterms Loom.”
A border security upgrade “through technology or by employing additional Border Patrol agents” is supported by Democrats like Abigail Spanberger (VA) and Elissa Slotkin (MI).
Record Numbers
Compared to the previous year, border clashes increased by 63 percent in February, as more than 165,000 illegal immigrants entered the country.
We still have no authority over our southern border. The 165,000 figure does not include migrants who eluded Border Patrol.
According to a February Fox News report, 220,000 illegal aliens eluded Border Patrol authorities from October to February.
Since President Trump departed office in January 2021, Johnson has blamed the Biden presidency for the dramatic increase in border crossings and reduction in deportations.
During the Biden administration, ICE recorded 2.5 million border interactions.
“That includes 1.7 million known unlawful entrants in 2021. Deportations plummeted 30% last fiscal year despite record border crossings, and they appear to be falling even more this year.”
There is still a crisis at our southern border & it’s about to be even worse this summer than it was last summer.
A thread:
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) March 16, 2022
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) recently spoke out against the border problem, even as the media focused on other concerns, like the Ukraine war and record-high inflation.
“Morning Wire” showed Lankford addressing the border problem with Senate colleagues.
“So, we are witnessing unprecedented numbers of high [sic] coming in, but record low numbers getting deported.”
Lankford cited a graph that showed a rise in border encounters under Biden’s leadership.
It will worsen when the Biden presidency reverses Trump-era regulation Title 42, which permits Border Patrol to deport more migrants according to COVID-19, even if they claim asylum.
“The government implicitly recognized that an unsecured border poses a national security hazard in a recent ICE study issued on March 11,” Johnson added.
Approximately two-thirds of those deported this year have been deemed a danger to border security or public safety.
Public Safety Concerns
The rest, according to the study, were national security concerns or public safety issues.
The proportion of convicted criminals removed grew from 56% in FY 2020 to 66% in FY 2021. 2,718 of those detained were violent criminals, and 34 were terrorists.
However, it’s unlikely that legislators in Washington will do much soon to stem the tide of illegal immigrants. “Both parties are split,” Johnson said.
“More moderate Democrats stress comprehensive reform, which incorporates amnesty for some illegal immigrants. The progressive side led by AOC wants to eliminate ICE.”
This is by design. This is not accidental.
The policies that have been put in place at the border are to encourage people to cross the border knowing full well they won’t actually be deported. pic.twitter.com/j0AZChbbqk
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) March 16, 2022
Even Republicans, who advocate increased border security, lack a coherent strategy, Johnson said.
It’s unlikely to be settled before the midterms. Republicans are split on partial amnesty because amnesty encourages the breaking of the law with citizenship.
