[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S26-S27]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Border Security

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, 302,000--302,000--that is how many migrants 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reported to have encountered at 
our southern border in the month of December. One month--302,000.
  To put that number in perspective, 302,000 is equivalent to roughly a 
third of the population of my home State of South Dakota or almost half 
of the population of Vermont or more than half--more than half, I 
should say, of the population of Wyoming. And that is just 1 month of 
encounters--1 month. Just when you think the Biden border crisis can't 
get any worse, it gets worse.

[[Page S27]]

  The situation at our southern border is unsustainable. We have got 
three successive recordbreaking years of illegal immigration at the 
southern border under President Biden, and if the current trend 
continues, we are well on our way to a fourth.
  The Border Patrol is stretched thin. Border towns are stretched thin. 
Other major U.S. cities are struggling to deal with an influx of 
migrants.
  Take New York City, for example. New York City is currently facing 
cuts to city services, including a massive 13.5 percent cut to its 
police force as a result of the migrant crisis. And while practical 
challenges posed by this immigration crisis are massive, even more 
worrisome are the national security challenges. Our country cannot be 
secure while we have hundreds of thousands of migrants flowing across 
our southern border each month, frequently to end up released into the 
United States with court dates years in the future.
  Even more concerning are those who are making their way into our 
country without being apprehended. Since October 1 alone, there have 
been more than 83,000 known ``got-aways'' at our southern border. Those 
are individuals that the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. 
That is 83,000 individuals making their way into our country without 
our having the slightest idea of who they are, what they are doing 
here, or where in the United States they are planning to travel--
83,000. And while some of them may simply be in search of a better 
life, others may be dangerous individuals who should not be entering 
our country.
  Let's be very clear. There are dangerous individuals who are trying 
to make their way into our country. Between October and November alone, 
the Border Patrol arrested 30 individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist 
attempting to make their way across our southern border. Fiscal year 
2023 saw 169 individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist arrested at our 
southern border--169--a substantial increase, I might add, over fiscal 
year 2022, which itself was a substantial increase over fiscal year 
2021. That is not a good trajectory.
  Again, I point out, these numbers only refer to the individuals the 
Border Patrol actually apprehend. There were 670,000 known ``got-
aways'' during fiscal year 2023. How many of them--how many of them 
were terrorists, criminals, or other dangerous individuals? The fact of 
the matter is: We don't know. And that is disturbing.
  This is insanity--the 169 they caught on the Terrorist Watchlist 
trying to come across our southern border and the 670,000 last year who 
came across the southern border who got away. We have no idea the 
composition of those people or how many of them. I suspect that most 
people who are trying to get in here who are terrorists or who are 
involved in some other type of criminal enterprise probably figure out 
a way to get in here and not get caught. There may be quite a few of 
those on the ``got-away'' list.
  What we know, however, is that we must regain operational control of 
the southern border, and it has to happen now. Since President Biden 
has failed to do so and since his policies have encouraged illegal 
immigration, Congress is going to have to act. We must act.
  I am pleased the Democrats have finally come to the table in a real 
way to discuss needed reforms, but I want to say again that the only 
acceptable reforms are reforms that will actually meet the challenge at 
our southern border. Republicans will not sign off on cosmetic measures 
or superficial tweaks or simply just throwing more money at the 
problem. We owe the American people a secure border, and we will not 
agree to anything less than real reforms.
  I have said this before--I have said it many times--that we are a 
nation of immigrants. I am one generation removed; my grandfather came 
here as an immigrant. Yet we are a nation of laws first and foremost. 
It is fundamental. It is the foundation. It is the bedrock principle 
that distinguishes our country from so many other countries around the 
world. We have laws, and they have to be followed. When people come to 
this country--and we are a welcoming country--they need to follow the 
law.
  So fixing the problem means not just having additional funding for 
border security measures and enforcement personnel but a meaningful 
reform of our asylum and parole systems, which have been abused under 
the Biden administration.
  A recent CBS News article noted:

       Over the past few years . . . the U.S. asylum system has 
     become a proxy process for migrants to stay and work in 
     America, irrespective of whether they have valid claims or 
     not.

  That is not acceptable. Our asylum system is meant to be a refuge for 
those who face genuine danger from persecution. It is not meant to 
serve as temporary de facto amnesty for those who would simply prefer 
to live in the United States.
  Our parole system is being abused as well. The Biden Department of 
Homeland Security's overly permissive application of parole has allowed 
hundreds of thousands of individuals who have not been granted legal 
status and who may not have a case for remaining in the United States 
to take up residence in our country, once again providing de facto 
amnesty, even if temporary.
  The Biden administration's abuse of our asylum and parole systems has 
to be reined in if we hope to stem the tide of individuals flooding 
into the country, so any acceptable border security reform must include 
the reform of these systems.
  While it may have taken them a long time to get here, I am, as I 
said, encouraged that at least Democrats have finally come to the 
table, and I hope for the sake of our country that sooner rather than 
later we will arrive at an agreement. We have had 3 years of the Biden 
border crisis. Let's make sure we don't have a fourth.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.