Pfluger tells Biden: Enforce our Border Security Laws
Following a trip to Del Rio where he witnessed 15,000 illegal migrants freely crossing the southern border, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) joined Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and other Republican lawmakers in introducing a resolution demanding that the Biden Administration enforce federal immigration laws and secure the southern border.
The resolution requires the Biden Administration to reinstate President Trump’s Remain in Mexico Policy, enforce Title 42 expulsions, commit more CPB and ICE agents and resources to secure the southern border, and support Governor Abbott’s September 20th statewide emergency disaster request.
“The only thing President Biden had to do was uphold President Trump’s border policies that were already working,” said Congressman Pfluger. “Instead, he flung the border wide open to those looking to enter our country illegally. His policies and rhetoric are incentivizing record numbers of dangerous crossings—which we saw on full display in Del Rio with 15,000 migrants gathered under the bridge after freely crossing our border. We are rap idly losing situational control of the southern border and without a full understanding of who or what is entering our Nation, President Biden has surrendered the safety of every American citizen, increased drug and human trafficking, and caused a major national security risk to the United States. This bill is simple: enforce the laws we already have on the books.”
Pfluger Joins Fox to Sound the Alarm on Del Rio Border Crisis
Texas Reps. Tony Gonzales and August Pfluger shared their firsthand accounts of the ongoing crisis in Del Rio as thousands of migrants are waiting to get into the United States. On "America’s Newsroom," Gonzales said it’s like a hurricane has hit the community.
Pfluger visited the Del Rio border Saturday and reported seeing 15,000 migrants waiting to enter the country.
"It's clear that it's a crisis," Pfluger said. "And the reason President Biden is getting attacked from both sides of the aisle is because he can't get a handle on this situation."
He noted that even the Democratic mayor of Del Rio, Bruno Lozano, is "crying out for help" and criticizing the Biden administration for not managing the crisis that has triggered school lockdowns in his city.
"Our country is now less secure because of President Biden," Pfluger said. "Where are the Democrats who just two years ago went to the border and cried out for help?"
He believes the administration is attempting to "shift the narrative" away from the crisis at the border.
"We need the president and the vice president to go there, to acknowledge that this is a problem, and to defend American interests and American citizens."
Amid Del-Rio Disaster, Democrats Block Pfluger-led Effort to Secure Border
Today, September 21st, Congressman August Pfluger led an effort to bring up the Border Security for America Act of 2021 (H.R. 4828) for consideration. Despite the ongoing humanitarian and security disaster in Del Rio, Texas, House Democrats today blocked the commonsense border security bill which would provide Customs & Border Protection (CBP) with additional resources and personnel to secure our nation’s borders and prioritize the safety of the American people.
The crisis at the border will continue to worsen without meaningful action. During a briefing with DHS officials, members were advised that according to DHS intel an additional estimated 40,000 to 60,000 Haitians are gathering in Colombia and Panama planning to illegally cross the U.S. border in caravans. This mass migration, orchestrated and expedited by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), is completely unsustainable and unacceptable.
CBP is clearly overwhelmed, understaffed, and in urgent need of support. These frontline agents have been exposed to multiple diseases in performance of their duties, and some have even been attacked by migrants during the repatriation process. Tragically, 22 frontline border agents have lost their lives in the line of duty in 2021.
As agents are redirected to Del Rio from across the country, large portions of the border are left unpatrolled. Cartels are actively taking advantage of these gaps and smuggling illicit drugs and goods into our country. This is doubly concerning given that known or suspected terrorists are crossing the border this year “at a level we have never seen before,” according to former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott.
The Border Security for America Act of 2021 provides the specific tools that frontline Border Patrol agents have said they need to secure the border. The bill has earned the support of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents approximately 18,000 Border Patrol agents and support personnel.
The Border Security for America Act of 2021 would:
• Require the Secretary of Homeland Security to resume construction on the Trump border wall system immediately.
• Deploy practical and effective technology to support CBP and Border Patrol operations.
• Hire and train additional CBP officers and agents to maintain an active-duty presence at all U.S. ports of entry.
• Increase the number of officers for tunnel detection and remediation, agricultural specialists, K-9 units, and supporting officers.
The bill, introduced by Congressman August Pfluger and Homeland Security Committee Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member John Katko (R-NY), is cosponsored by Homeland Security Republicans, American Security Task Force members, House Border Caucus members, and House Republican leadership, including Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY).