[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H5689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ONGOING CRISIS AT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

  (Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
ongoing crisis at the southern border. The Biden administration has 
actively opened the border, and it is directly harming our country by 
dwindling resources, endangering communities, and emboldening terror 
threats.
  I recently visited the Del Rio, Texas, sector to hear straight from 
our Customs and Border Patrol agents, Texas National Guard, and Texas 
State troopers. In just one station within the sector, apprehensions 
have multiplied at an alarming rate, going from 7,400 last year to more 
than 94,000 in 2021, and agents have detained people from more than 90 
countries.
  While the humanitarian aspect of this crisis is disturbing, I am more 
concerned with the growing national security threats to our country. 
Nearly 10,000 individuals with criminal convictions have been arrested 
in fiscal year 2021 attempting to illegally cross into the U.S., 
compared to just 2,400 last year.
  Mr. Speaker, securing and regulating our border is crucial in keeping 
our country secure, functioning, and, most importantly, safe from 
external threats. I urge my colleagues to work toward creating 
meaningful legislation to provide Customs and Border Patrol agents with 
much-needed resources to firmly protect our border.

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