Biden pledges to get the border crisis "under control," but critics aren't so sure
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — Speaking to reporters earlier this week while visiting the now all-too-well known man-camp under an international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, Congressman August Pfluger of Texas said the illegal immigrant surge camping in squalid conditions there is approaching 15,000 – and is a warning that the situation is about to get much worse.
"What is the administration doing?" asked Pfluger. "Why are they not down here right this second like I am?" he asked.
The Texas Congressman also contrasted the chaotic situation – where migrants from countries with low vaccination rates are packed next to each other – with the strict COVID protocols being implemented by the Biden Administration.
"We've got a vaccine mandate in the United States for companies with 100 or more people, and we’ve got 14,878 people here – are you kidding me? Our priorities are completely out of whack right now.
"Speaking to Border Patrol agents, the worst is yet to come, they’re worried about what is behind here, they’re worried about co-ordination with Mexico," Pfluger (at right, being briefed by local South Texas Officials,) told Fox News from Del Rio.
"Speaking to Border Patrol agents, the worst is yet to come, they’re worried about what is behind here, they’re worried about co-ordination with Mexico," Pfluger (at right, being briefed by local South Texas Officials,) told Fox News from Del Rio.The Texas Republican told Fox that there were reports of criminal activity, as well as prostitution and drugs. He also expressed concern about a potential security situation.
"If they decided to riot, or if unrest happened, it'd be a terrible situation.
"It is ripe. It is 100 degrees outside right now and you literally have 14,878 people here.
"This is how serious the situation is," said the Texas Congressman.
Even U.S. Government Officials have described the situation as "out of control," as they scramble to cope with a flood of migrants that has spiked from 4,000 on Wednesday, to now what Pfluger said was 14,878 as of Saturday afternoon. And virtually every type of news media coverage have shown migrants streaming across the border by the 100s for days.
"It’s worse than you could imagine," said Pfluger, praising the hard-working Border Patrol Agents while clearly sounded frustrated as he described how he believed the crisis could have been prevented by the actions of President Biden.
"This is an absolute tragedy of a crisis, completely preventable," he said. "Completely preventable."
The Biden Administration has been facing a surge in migration since taking office, which has hit a high of more than 200,000 encounters a month in both July and August.
"This is an absolute tragedy of a crisis, completely preventable," he said. "Completely preventable."
The Biden Administration has been facing a surge in migration since taking office, which has hit a high of more than 200,000 encounters a month in both July and August.
Pfluger is one of a number of lawmakers to say that the situation was sparked in part by Biden's halt to deportation flights. They note that Haitians, and 1,000s of others who were waiting in Central America, took that as a green light to come to the U.S.
Cong. Tony Gonzales (left,) whose district includes Del Rio, told Fox News over the weekend that the camp where over 10,000 migrants have gathered "is as bad as I’ve ever seen it – and I’m not saying or taking that lightly."Last Thursday Gonzales visited the chaotic and squalid migrant camp that has formed under the International Bridge in Del Rio, and was shocked by what he saw, as the numbers of predominantly Haitian migrants doubled in just 24 hours.
"When you see the amount of people and how chaotic it is and how there is literally no border, folks are coming to and from Mexico with ease, its gut wrenching and its dangerous," he said.
Gonzales stressed that the situation was already perilous, both in terms of sanitary conditions and in terms of national and border security,
"The sheer amount of people, it’s like getting hit by a 2x4," he said.
"You think you’re in a 3rd-World Country, but this is the United States – this is Del Rio Texas, and there's literally no border at all. It’s all just been muddied over."
Gonzales said that the surge in migrants, who he said were mostly single males, was triggered by a move by the Biden Administration to cancel a number of repatriation flights to Haiti.
"When those flights were stopped by the U.S. government, they got the word and it was like ‘go time,’" said Pfluger.
"You think you’re in a 3rd-World Country, but this is the United States – this is Del Rio Texas, and there's literally no border at all. It’s all just been muddied over."
Gonzales said that the surge in migrants, who he said were mostly single males, was triggered by a move by the Biden Administration to cancel a number of repatriation flights to Haiti.
"When those flights were stopped by the U.S. government, they got the word and it was like ‘go time,’" said Pfluger.
"To feed these migrants, provide them three meals a day would cost the city of Del Rio $1 million a week," Cong. Gonzales said.
"This is a small town that does not have any resources and yet they are literally having to come up with millions of dollars a week to handle this crisis -- it’s unfair to them."
"This is a small town that does not have any resources and yet they are literally having to come up with millions of dollars a week to handle this crisis -- it’s unfair to them."
And he also warned that in addition to the impact on Del Rio, it would soon have an impact on cities all across the country.
"These folks, they're not staying in Texas, they're literally going to every city – they're going to Chicago, they’re going to New York City, San Francisco, they're going to a neighborhood near you – and it impacts everybody."
President Biden, meanwhile, on Tuesday pledged to get the situation at the border "under control," even as his administration faces an out-of-control border crisis in Del Rio."We will get it under control," Biden said in response to a question about the border, after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly.
He was then asked if his administration has it under control or will get it under control.
"We will get it under control," he repeated.
While Biden been facing a surge in illegal immigration since taking office, in August there were more than 208,000 migrant encounters – the second month in a row where encounters have been above 200,000.
In July 2021, more than 212,000 people attempted to illegally cross Texas' southern border – the largest number since 2000.
And as Biden or his cabinet members and press secretary Jen Psaki have been repeating their claims that the border is not open, they're now facing accusations from both Democrats and Republicans alike, who say Biden's lack of enforcement on the border has encouraged mass migration by rolling back Trump-era policies.
On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited the area, saying, "This administration is committed to developing safe, orderly and humane pathways for migration. This is not the way to do it."
He also said that the belief that the border is open is "false."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been vocal in his criticism of Biden, and since launching Texas' "Operation Lone Star" earlier in the years, has been working feverishly with members of the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition and the County Judges from border communities across Texas to try and secure the border and quell the influx of unlawful migrants coming into Texas.After launching Operation Lone Star (OLS) in March, Abbott said late last month that over 4,300 arrests have been made by the Texas Department of Public Safety, for charges ranging from criminal mischief tocriminal trespass.
Additionally, Texas' OLS has led to the confiscation of drugs and illegal firearms, including:
- over 700 pounds of cocaine
- 127 pounds of fentanyl
- over 8,700 pounds of cannabis, and
- more 260 firearms to date.
