Hoeven Calls on President Biden to Address Illegal Immigration Crisis, Reinstate Policies Needed to Gain Control of U.S. Borders

WASHINGTON – During remarks delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate this week, Senator John Hoeven once again called on President Biden to address the illegal immigration crisis occurring at the U.S.-Mexico border. The senator stressed the national security and humanitarian issues resulting from the border crisis, including human trafficking and drug smuggling, as well as how it impacts operations along the northern border.

“Our nation continues to face an unprecedented crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, one that is due to the Biden administration’s policies, pure and simple. For fiscal year (FY) 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered almost 2.4 million individuals attempting to illegally cross the southern border. This is an increase of 37 percent from FY2021 and a 419 percent increase, four times as many, from FY2020,” said Hoeven. “Additionally, since October, CBP has reported that over 1 million individuals – from more than 140 different countries – have been encountered attempting to illegally cross the southern border.

“Just last week, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told a House Committee that the administration does not have operational control of the border…While the officers and agents on the frontlines do the best job they can with the way they’re hamstrung, they face an impossible task given the Biden administration’s actions to continue to allow this crisis to go on. As a senator representing a northern border state, I am also concerned about the impact the situation at the southern border is having on our northern border in terms of security.

“To address our nation’s immigration crisis, we need to secure the border, reinstate key immigration policies that were working to stop illegal immigration, and move toward a merit-based immigration system. The administration needs to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, resume construction of the border wall, and ensure we have in place the necessary infrastructure, personnel and technology to secure the border.”

Last year, Hoeven visited North Dakota National Guard members in Del Rio and Eagle Pass, Texas to highlight their mission in support of CBP operations and call attention to the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. Hoeven made similar trips to El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley to outline the need to stop illegal migration and prevent human and drug trafficking. 

Hoeven’s full remarks can be viewed here. 

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