Peace Garden News

WASHINGTON – With Title 42 set to expire at midnight, Senator John Hoeven this morning spoke at a press conference to pressure the Biden administration to secure the border and enforce the law in order to stop illegal immigration, human trafficking and drugs at the southern border. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, more than 10,000 illegal migrants were caught crossing the border illegally each day. Later today, Hoeven will meet with Border Patrol officials on the southern border to see firsthand the surge of illegal immigration due to the expiration of Title 42. 

“We are going to the southern border to call attention to this crisis, and to do everything that we can to force the Biden administration to enforce the law,” said Hoeven. “Border security is national security. The President can do it, but he won’t implement the policies that are required to enforce the border. Our Border Patrol and CBP professionals can manage and secure the border but only if they’re given the right tools.

“By returning to the Remain in Mexico Protocol and strictly enforcing the Third Safe Country protocol, which we had under the prior administration, the professionals on the border can and will secure the border.”

In fiscal year (FY) 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered almost 2.4 million individuals attempting to illegally cross the southern border. In the first six months of FY 2023, CBP has encountered more than 1.5 million individuals, a pace that will surpass last year’s record numbers.

Specifically, Hoeven outlined the need for the Biden administration to:

• Reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) or Remain in Mexico Policy, which required people seeking asylum at the southern border to wait in Mexico while their case was adjudicated.
• Strictly Enforce the Safe Third Country Agreements requiring that those coming from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala seek asylum there first, otherwise be returned to await the outcome of their claims.

Today’s visit follows Hoeven’s work to draw attention to the illegal immigration and human and drug trafficking crisis at the southern border. The senator previously visited North Dakota National Guard members in Del Rio and Eagle Pass, Texas to highlight their mission in support of Customs and Border Protection operations. Hoeven made similar trips to El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley, and also traveled with a bipartisan congressional delegation to Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and Guatemala to outline the need to work with these nations to stop illegal immigration and prevent human and drug trafficking. 

https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/imo/media/image/hoeven-presser.jpg

Original source can be found here.