The United States’ southern border has been combating illegal immigration for years, but now it has evolved into a crisis that can no longer be ignored. Our federal government claims that the border is secure and refuses to acknowledge the situation, leaving states to take matters into their own hands. And that is exactly what they are doing. Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis flew 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, a sanctuary city, hoping to bring more attention to the crisis and the security implications of our federal government’s unenforced border policies. Although his actions did stir a national debate, many are still missing the point.
Our federal government is responsible for maintaining the safety of its citizens by enforcing laws and preserving national security. But statistics indicate that the opposite is happening at the southern border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 203,598 migrant encounters occurred along the southwest land border in August, and over 2 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border so far this fiscal year. Lurking among these staggering numbers are criminals, many of them dangerous and carrying lethal drugs like fentanyl and crystal meth into the U.S. Although most illegals do not pose an imminent threat to our security, they are hurting our economy as they take American jobs and profit from the hard work of tax paying citizens.
Across the country, state leadership is demanding immigration reform, calling for our leaders in Washington to do their job. At a press conference, after Gov. DeSantis’ plane of 50 migrants landed in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said: “What really needs to happen here is that Washington needs to do its job. And its job is to come up with an immigration policy that is enforceable, that works and that the people understand. Because we certainly don’t have that now. And this is just another example of that.”
Governor DeSantis also made similar statement, calling for federal involvement in the issue, saying: “This border is now an issue in these elections, and I think it’s something that our candidates need to take.”
Our federal government continues to dismiss this issue and talk about how to accommodate illegals instead of addressing the origin of the problem, a flawed and unenforced border policy. If this crisis remains ignored, the number of border encounters will continue to climb as policies are disregarded. The incentive for migrants to cross into the U.S. unauthorized will grow, ultimately endangering the safety and prosperity of the citizens our government was designed to protect.