After spending the past three years ignoring our immigration crisis, President Joe Biden came to Brownsville, Texas back in February to once again claim that he could only act to secure the border with the help of Republicans in Congress. Last week, he completely contradicted himself by issuing a proclamation claiming the opposite. Biden’s election year gimmick is too little too late and his failure to halt the surge of illegal border crossings during his tenure is the reason why Republican-led states like Texas have had to take unprecedented action over the past three years. And due to Biden’s inaction, every state in America has become a border state, leaving state Republican leaders as the last line of defense against this humanitarian crisis.
My district is located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), stretching from Port Mansfield to the north, down into San Pedro and parts of Brownsville, just across the border from the Mexican town of Matamoros. Due to our location along the southern border, the RGV is a major corridor for human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and other illegal activities. What’s happening here has had dangerous implications for Texas and across America.
A total of 14 Republican-led states have had to mobilize the national guard to help defend the southern border in Texas to assist our brave Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents, who have seen their resources overwhelmed and who are struggling to keep up with the influx of illegal migrants and illegal narcotics that continue to flow across the southern border.
Just over one month ago, a former Mexican law enforcement official living in Brownsville was convicted of smuggling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine into the U.S. Fentanyl doesn’t stay in the RGV; it is distributed to states all over the country. It’s why Republican states like Texas, Louisiana, and Florida have passed legislation to combat the fentanyl crisis, which has significantly worsened the opioid crisis our country is facing.
A strong southern border coupled with strong border policies will keep my constituents and the American people safe and secure. So it’s no wonder that when Biden decided to eliminate Title 42 with the stroke of a pen, that a judge in the RGV had to issue a declaration of disaster in fear of a surge of migrants attempting to cross the border. The surge of illegal migrants under the Biden administration has allowed thousands of migrants to enter the country unchecked, which has led to tragedy in other states in America.
States like Georgia and Michigan have seen sensational crimes including the murders of Laken Riley and Ruby Garcia due to alleged illegal migrants who never should have been in the country in the first place. Until Joe Biden gets tough on border security, I’m fearful for the next innocent citizen who may suffer a similar fate.
Republican state leaders across the country including Gov. Greg Abbott and myself here in Texas have done everything in our power to secure the southern border and attempt to mitigate the crisis. In response to Biden’s border crisis, the Texas legislature passed a sweeping package of border security legislation, including over $6 billion in border security funding to provide additional tools and resources to law enforcement along the southern border.
Unfortunately, Biden has decided to wait until the middle of his election to issue half-hearted measures that don’t solve the underlying issues. Biden inherited a secure southern border, and his own actions, or lack thereof, have led to the crisis unfolding along the southern border.
This new executive action by Biden would still allow 1.8 million illegal migrants into the country, “a figure that would represent the third-highest number of encounters since fiscal year 2000, trailing only fiscal year 2023 (2.475 million encounters) and 2022 (2.378 million encounters).” Notice how those historical figures have all occurred under the Biden administration? It’s why so many Americans across the country view immigration as one of the top issues at the front of their minds heading into a critical election cycle this November. And it’s why the American people trust President Donald Trump and Republicans to lead on the issue.
This November, Americans have the opportunity to choose between the leadership styles of states like Texas, or to continue the failed policies of the past four years. The contrast couldn’t be more clear.
State Rep. Janie Lopez represents Willacy and Cameron Counties in Texas House District 37. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first Republican Hispanic elected as State Representative to represent her district in south Texas.