Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) criticized the Biden administration for mishandling the U.S.-Mexico border on America’s Newsroom Tuesday. She even disapproved of border agents distributing blankets to migrants.
When questioned about the administration’s border security efforts, Lee contended that it “has clearly done nothing that’s serious to secure the border.”
“We’ve watched for three years while President Biden sat back and talked about things like root causes while allowing the drug cartels to take operational control of our border. The situation this has created across America and in our communities is tragic and dangerous.
We know that it’s not just people coming across. We’ve seen the consequences of fentanyl trafficking, human trafficking, and there’s just no reason at this point to have any confidence that Joe Biden actually wants to secure the border,” she continued.
ALSO READ: Border Patrol Says Increasing Border Crossings is Overwhelming Its Resources
Focusing on the influx of fentanyl across the border, Lee lamented its impact on communities across America. She criticized Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for their failure to address the overdose epidemic.
Before Lee’s appearance, Fox News senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse reported that border agents in Texas, Arizona, and California were “being overrun” by waves of migrants.
La Jeunesse stated that migrants were “welcomed by the administration with a blanket, a bus ticket, a work permit, and notice to appear in court,” without enforcement for about 90% of them.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported encountering 2,475,669 people at the southern border in fiscal year 2023.
POLL—Should the U.S. Government Create a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants?
In recent news, Mexican and U.S. officials have agreed to collaborate more closely in addressing record migration at their shared border. This commitment was outlined in a joint statement by the countries’ governments following high-level talks on stemming record numbers.
After a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Mexico, the countries announced plans to enhance a sponsorship initiative for migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti. They also expressed a commitment to addressing the root causes of migration.
The delegations, scheduled for another meeting in Washington next month, discussed regularizing the situation of DACA beneficiaries. This includes the so-called Dreamers and long-time undocumented Hispanic migrants in the United States.
The discussions followed the temporary closure of certain U.S. border crossings to redirect agents for enforcement, causing a trade slowdown. Republicans criticized the Biden administration’s border policies.
ALSO READ: Authorities Shut Down Texas Border Bridges Amid Immigration Surge
Immigration and the border are considered major issues in the 2024 U.S. elections, where President Joe Biden, a Democrat, seeks a second term.
Earlier Thursday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that both parties had agreed to keep border crossings open after the temporary closures. During a press conference, he stated, “This agreement has been reached; the rail crossings and the border bridges are already being opened to normalize the situation.”
Lopez Obrador described the meetings with the U.S. delegation on Wednesday as “direct” and praised the Biden administration’s relationship with Mexico.
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