(Chris Parker, Headline USA) Several Democrats have suddenly broken party lines and are joining Republicans in fighting the illegal immigration crisis, as Border Patrol agents report an unprecedented number of encounters, averaging about 200,000 per month.
The surge in illegal immigration is partially to blame for a significant increase in drug overdoses across the US. It also caused the total population of illegal immigrants to increase by 1 million.
Several senators from both parties are responding with a bill that will set up a reserve border force comprised of 2,500 troops, bringing the total number of Border Patrol agents up to 20,500. It also includes a 14% increase in pay for Border Patrol agents, reported Just the News.
“Every time I’ve visited with Border Patrol, they have made it clear that they need increased funding to recruit and retain agents,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who introduced the bill.
“At a time when our southern border crisis is heading towards a catastrophe, we must provide Border Patrol with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.”
Rodney Scott, the former Border Patrol chief hired by Biden, has accused the administration of enabling illegal immigration.
“The Biden administration’s team at [the Department of Homeland Security] is laser-focused on expediting the flow of migrants into the U.S. and downplaying the significant vulnerability this creates for terrorists, narcotics smugglers, human traffickers, and even hostile nations to gain access to our homeland,” he said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The Biden administration has also been accused of releasing thousands of illegal immigrants during his first year. Most of them have “gone missing.”
“These numbers, which may be even higher, underscore this administration’s failure to enact policies to secure the border and has created an unprecedented migration crisis,” wrote Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc.
Arizona Democrat Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema are both cosponsoring the bill.
