(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., alongside Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., slammed the Biden administration for neglecting border security and failing to enforce immigration laws. Sinema specifically called out a false claim by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that unlawful migration has decreased since her boss, President Biden, assumed office.
Sinema joined Fox News’ Special Report Tuesday to discuss the border crisis.
“Obviously, the border is not secured,” Sinema said. “Anyone with eyes can see that. And anyone who lives in a border state like I do, born and raised in Arizona, actually takes offense at comments like that because they’re just factually not true. The reality is, is that border communications in my state are suffering already and that’s before the end of Title 42.”
The independent senator’s comments stroke back at Jean-Pierre’s assertion on border crossings. “When it comes to illegal migration, you have seen it come down by more than 90%, and that’s because of the actions that this president has taken,” she said, causing an onslaught of criticism over the demonstrably false claim.
Karine Jean-Pierre: "When it comes to illegal migration, you have seen it come down by more than 90%, and that’s because of the actions that this president has taken." pic.twitter.com/SQLYz1Jawc
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 1, 2023
Sinema, who left the Democrat Party in December 2022 citing her indifference to the leftist partisanship, has been vocal about border security in small towns in her home state Arizona.
“Just last week, I held a hearing in our border subcommittee and brought a Republican mayor and a Democratic mayor, both representing small border towns from Arizona,” the independent senator said.
“And we just asked them, what is it like every day in your town? And Bret, there are high-speed chases going on through the city of Sierra Vista right now with young teens driving cars and sometimes being killed or causing the death of others transporting drugs and other migrants through these communities.”
The White House press secretary has been caught several times touting false claims on topics ranging from laws championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and attempts to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre refused to answer questions on why the president and first lady refuse to recognize Hunter Biden’s youngest daughter as a Biden. “I’m not going to speak to that from here,” she told a reporter.
Sinema’s concerns on border security are echoed by several Republican lawmakers who called on the Biden administration to tighten immigration policies ahead of the May 11 ending of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allowed immigration officials to expedite the removal proceedings of undocumented immigrants on grounds of the COVID-19 health pandemic.
