Wasting no time implementing his anti-border security agenda, one of President Joe Biden’s first actions in office was to halt border wall construction that began under the Trump administration. Unsurprisingly, this immigration directive and accompanying destructive mandates have led to the worst border crisis in history.
The lack of leadership from the Biden administration has prompted the state of Texas to take up the mantle in securing its portion of the southern border. On December 18, Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced the Lone Star State had begun constructing its own border wall in Rio Grande City. In June, Gov. Abbott authorized the placement of a barrier and allocated $250 million as a down payment to initiate its creation.
Some of Gov. Abbott’s other border security measures include directing Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to establish blockades along the Rio Grande river to assist Border Patrol agents in preventing unlawful entries. The Texas governor also signed off on HB 9, an appropriations bill that allocated $1.9 million to retain the National Guard at the border to expand patrol efforts.
Texas’ actions to erect a wall will undoubtedly help keep its residents and other Americans across the country safe from the dangers posed by our porous border. In October 2020, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that four southern border sectors experienced significant decreases in illegal crossings of migrants, drug, and human smugglers after the installation of physical obstacles in vulnerable areas. The deployment of physical barriers, technology, and additional manpower helped authorities regain reasonable control of the Southwest border during the Trump administration.
Conversely, President Biden’s halting of border wall construction has made it easier for lawless syndicates to smuggle illegal aliens into the country. An unsecured border is open to exploitation by criminals, gang members, and even terrorists. On top of the public safety and national security concerns, the president’s decision has left taxpayers doling out at least $3 million a day in construction contracts going unfulfilled due to the president’s proclamation.
The Lone Star State’s efforts to secure its border are commendable and necessary, but the onus falls on the federal government to prevent illegal immigration. Texas taking steps to mitigate unchecked migration should be a wake-up call for the Biden administration to get its act together. Merely adding minor improvements to the existing border wall is not the cure-all for the current crisis. As FAIR has advocated, implementing effective immigration policies, such as erecting a barrier, benefits the nation’s security and sovereignty.
