Congratulations, Republicans, you’ve won the House majority. Once you finish that bottle of champagne, there are quite a few things you need to do to reverse the damage from the Biden administration. For many Americans, border security comes to mind as an urgent issue for the Southwestern United States and beyond.
Thankfully, Republicans have already taken the first step toward accountability. The House Judiciary Committee is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others to testify and fully cooperate with their investigations, with one of the main issues being the border, according to Fox News.
Outgoing Republican Texas Congresswoman Mayra Flores agreed with the decision and said that she hopes it results in Mayorkas’s ouster.
“House Judiciary Republicans have summoned Mayorkas for border investigation,” Flores tweeted. “Nothing short of an impeachment and removal proceedings should be the outcome.”
House Judiciary Republicans have summoned Mayorkas for border investigation.
Nothing short of an impeachment and removal proceedings should be the outcome.
— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) November 18, 2022
While the investigation into why the southern border is such a wreck is a necessary step, there also needs to be serious legislation that commits to lasting security with conservative solutions.
Any legislation needs to guarantee the following: The hiring of more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, an investment in technology to monitor the border, and the completion of the wall.
When I briefly visited the border earlier this month in the Tucson sector, the supplies that were leftover when Biden canceled the wall were still sitting there, and the gaps are certainly no myth. While the wall is sometimes considered controversial or ineffective, one must realize that it is only one tool in the border security toolbox, but a necessary one in order to act as a deterrent.
Other sections of the border like Yuma, Arizona, and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas are dealing with a horrific set of issues that is nothing less than a humanitarian crisis. The local sheriff’s departments need more resources, and the best way to handle that at the federal level is by bringing in more ICE agents to assist. A lot of these areas are not heavily populated and do not have the bandwidth to take care of everything at the local level, which is why the federal government dropping the ball is such a big deal.
As I mentioned that a wall is only one tool, innovative technology such as drones need to be poured into it in order to ensure a multi-faceted border security strategy. Law enforcement can only be in so many places at once, and drone camera technology is a great way to keep track of any illegal activity occurring at the border.
Yes, immigration reform, whether it’s stricter or looser policies, is an important debate to have when it comes to border security. Many Democrats would rather have that conversation than the one about the actual border, but that debate should not occur without the physical aspect being taken care of first. Once the border is actually secure, then it’s time to figure out what to do when it comes to the status of illegal immigrants and or legitimate asylum seekers. It’s all good and well to talk about immigration, but ending the flow of drugs and human trafficking needs to be the top priority.
Obviously, the elephant in the room is that Republicans will only control the House, and not the Senate or White House. Republicans need to make sure to reach across the aisle to people like Sens. Krysten Sinema, Mark Kelly, and Maggie Hassan, who all campaigned on securing the border, to make sure that legislation would have the votes to go through. Biden should be forced to be put at odds with Congress over his administration’s poor border policies, yet he could also take it as a bipartisan victory if he decides to sign something. I won’t hold my breath.
