More than 35,000 illegal immigrants are predicted to cross southern border upon Thursday’s looming deadline

WASHINGTON – In advance of the expiration of Title 42 authorities, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and 13 additional colleagues sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas criticizing the administration’s failure to secure the border despite receiving congressionally-appropriated funds to continue construction of the border wall. The group requested information on the status of the border wall construction projects and the anticipated number of illegal immigrants expected to seek entry to the United States following the expiration of Title 42 authorities.

“The Biden Administration has failed to acknowledge the crisis at our border, and is recognizing in the eleventh hour that the upcoming removal of Title 42 authorities, and the subsequent surge in border crossings that is predicted, will have disastrous effects on the security of our nation. There is no clearer evidence of this than the recently announced decision to send 1,500 active duty troops to assist border officials who are tasked with defending nearly 2,000 miles of border territory,” the senators started.

“Additionally, the Administration’s decision to halt construction of the southern border wall has contributed significantly to the acute humanitarian crisis brought about by illegal immigration and ahead of this week’s Title 42 expiration, we urgently request more information on the status of the border wall in anticipation of future congressional action,” the senators continued.

“If the Administration had decided to spend congressionally-appropriated funds to finish the wall, perhaps your department would not need troops to assist. Perhaps the crisis would be more manageable. Terrorists, traffickers, and other bad actors know about our country’s failure to secure the border and they continuously exploit those weaknesses. There is a glaringly simple solution right in front you: we must finish the border wall,” the senators concluded.

Senators Mitt Romney (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter to Secretary Mayorkas can be found HERE.

This letter builds on several pieces of legislation introduced by Senators Risch and Crapo, including legislation authored by Senator Risch, the Solving the Border Crisis Act, which would extend Title 42, complete the border wall, make the Remain in Mexico program permanent, establish minimum staffing levels for enforcement and patrol agents, and ensure detention facilities are sufficient.