At the end of the Trump administration, our southern border with Mexico was fortified as major improvements in security had occurred including the construction of a border wall. Unfortunately, the wall was not completed at the end of Trump’s term, and construction was promptly halted when Joe Biden became President.
During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden welcomed immigrants from around the world to enter the United States. In a 2019 Democratic Party presidential debate, Biden said, “You want to flee, and you’re fleeing oppression, you should come.”
This message was heard by migrants worldwide as illegal immigrants from 160 nations have been encountered at the southern border. It is especially concerning that the number of Chinese nationals who have been apprehended at the border has increased 900% since last year. According to author and analyst Gordon Chang, “We have to assume that the Chinese regime is taking advantage of the situation by smuggling in their agents.”
This development should worry every American as communist China is our foremost enemy. There is also a high probability that Chinese spies and terrorists are among the 1.2 million illegal migrants who “got away” and escaped from U.S. border agents during the Biden presidency.
Overall, there have been approximately 189,000 border encounters per month during the Biden presidency, a 370% increase since the Trump administration. During the last two years, illegal crossings were one million higher than during the entire four years of the Trump presidency. In just 2022, there were more than 2 million illegal border crossings.
Obviously, this is a massive problem that should have the full attention of the Biden administration. We do not have enough resources deployed at the border. At a minimum, we need to finish the border wall, boost the number of border patrol agents, and swiftly deport illegal aliens who enter our country.
With an open border, fentanyl and other illegal drugs are pouring into the United States. Fentanyl overdose was the primary cause of 70,601 deaths in our country in 2021. This was approximately 65% of the 106,699 drug overdose deaths which were recorded that year, an all-time record.
With drug overdose deaths and illegal immigration at the highest levels in American history, this country is facing a severe crisis. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has totally failed to provide adequate border security.
According to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, there is “operational control of the southern border.” This statement is such a lie that the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz was forced to admit in recent congressional testimony that his agents do not have “operational control” of the southern border.
Our border crisis should have the complete attention of the Biden administration. Instead, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the “Border Czar,” have each made only one trip to the border during their first twenty-six months in office.
While ignoring the border, both Biden and Harris have made frequent foreign trips. Currently, Vice President Harris is traveling in Africa, beginning a week-long visit, while President Biden just returned from a trip to Canada, his 11th international visit since the beginning of his administration.
In Canada, Biden focused on some of his favorite topics, such as climate change and the war in Ukraine. Regarding climate change, Biden and other Democrats have consistently rated it as the top problem faced by both our country and the world. However, this view is not shared by the American people.
What are the American people concerned about? According to a recent Gallup poll, the top four priorities are poor leadership, illegal immigration, the weak economy, and the escalating inflation rate. The issue of the “environment” came in last among respondents at 3%.
Relating to the war in Ukraine, the globalist neocons littered throughout the Biden administration and Congress believe it is of the utmost importance. In fact, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Minority Leader, stated the war in Ukraine was the most important issue facing Republicans.
Not surprisingly, the American people do not share this ridiculous belief. The Gallup poll indicated that the war in Ukraine was not even mentioned by 1% of respondents as our top problem.
Instead of focusing on the real top priorities of Americans, our political leaders are engaged in a proxy war against Russia, the country with the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. As the war escalates, Russia will begin to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, marking the first time since the 1990’s that it has placed such weapons outside of its borders.
At the present time, there is an urgent need for diplomacy and a halt to the fighting. This war is dragging on and could ignite into a nuclear Armageddon. Even China has proposed a peace plan, but our political leaders are only interested in continuing the war until Russia removes all its troops from Ukraine, an unlikely scenario.
Since the war began, the United States has been the largest contributor to Ukraine with almost $200 billion in assistance, outpacing every other country, including European nations in close proximity to the fighting. While our leaders are engrossed in supporting a country fighting a war halfway around the world, they are ignoring the severe problems on the home front.
In 2024, it is imperative that voters elect candidates like President Donald Trump who will commit to an “America First” agenda. We deserve leaders who will place the needs of Americans at the forefront, instead of the globalist neocon agenda. Too often the pressing issues of real Americans are totally ignored by our so-called leaders.
By the time our country finishes paying the interest for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the total cost will be $6.5 trillion. This is money that should have been spent to address the serious problems, including border security, in our country.
The United States is on the path toward another military and financial boondoggle in Ukraine unless the voters demand that our politicians put “America First.”
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-11 a.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance, and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com