By Greg Aprahamian
I recently returned to California from the Arizona border where I attended an important border rally hosted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The border rally was held in a remote area of Arizona on the Mexican border.
Running through the private ranch that the rally was held on was a portion of the wall that President Trump fought for and built during his time in office.
The wall was magnificent, far more impressive than I ever imagined. Former President Trump promised a wall and he delivered. To deliver the 438 miles of wall that he built, Trump fought two years of obstruction under Paul Ryan and a Republican Congress that refused to fund one inch of the now standing wall, and then two more years of attacks and obstruction under Nancy Pelosi and a Democrat Congress. Despite it all, what Donald Trump accomplished is real, it’s physical and it is still standing today doing the job it was built to do.
Since Trump left office the Biden administration has basically opened our southern border, and forced our country to do a 180 degree turn on border policy and border enforcement. During Trump’s time in office illegal immigration to the U.S. hit 45 year lows, and now, just six months into the Biden presidency, we are all time highs. The sharp U-turn the country took has been cruel to many, and the callous and uncaring denial by Biden, his media and supporters has been harmful. Many Americans like myself are now suffering from a type of collective whiplash.
While understanding that the radical policy changes implemented by the Biden administration are directly responsible for the border crisis we are currently enduring, standing in front of this magnificent wall made me feel reassured. It’s doing its job, and it’s a reminder to everyone that there is real and tangible support to enforce our laws and to protect Americans from the harm that comes from open borders, and that support is still here. In my view the wall also stands as a monument to national preservation and the will most Americans have to protect the country, and our way of life.
The political battle to fund and build the 438 miles of wall is also still fresh in my mind. At the same time, the forces that profit from the cheap labor, the illegal drugs, and the promise of future Democrat voters continue to undermine the security of our borders.
Prior to going to the wall, I attended a lecture hosted by FAIR. Many sheriffs from across the country, former heads of the Border Patrol and ICE spoke at length about the border crisis we are now enduring. The information presented by our law enforcement was dire and overwhelming and all of it was entirely created by Joe Biden.
The key points I learned from the presentations by law enforcement:
We were at 45 year lows on illegal immigration under Trump.
From April 2020 to April 2021 we have had a more than a 900 percent year over year increase in border apprehensions. This stark fact illustrates the huge increase in attempted and successful illegal border crossings.
Since January 2021, we have had a 1,300 percent increase in unaccompanied minors.
In May, Border Patrol apprehended 180,000 illegal border crossers, apprehension estimates are on target to reach new records, above 2 million this year.
89 percent of illegal border crossers who apply for asylum are rejected because they do not qualify, but virtually all disappear into the interior.
Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy for asylum applicants was very effective, it ended catch and release and greatly reduced the illegal flow across our borders. Biden has stopped the Remain in Mexico program.
Biden is flying extended family members of those filing for asylum to the U.S. at taxpayer expense.
Mexican drug cartels are taking full advantage of our now porous southern border.
There is an alliance between China and the Mexican drug cartels. The supplies, ingredients and equipment used to manufacture methamphetamine and fentanyl are products of China. China supplies the Mexican drug cartels that produce and bring the drugs into the U.S. through the porous U.S.- Mexico border.
Interior U.S. enforcement and removal of illegal aliens in the interior has basically stopped, April 2021 records for removal are at all-time lows.
The Biden presidency is taking America on a dangerous course of chaos and open borders, allowing record levels of drugs to be smuggled in, and millions of unvetted foreign nationals to illegally cross our borders and take American jobs.
The only good news I saw was that the wall is still protecting America and is doing the job Biden just won’t do.
Greg is a longtime FAIR activist and a film artist who works in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.