[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 6, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2221-S2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Border Security

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, last week, President Biden visited the 
southern border--just his second such trip in his entire half-a-
century-long political career. While I suspect his visit was motivated 
more by the thought of an election year photo op than by a desire to 
see the border crisis firsthand, the President should--should--be 
visiting the southern border. But more than that, the President should 
be taking action on the border, real action--the kind of action that 
will actually do something to help stem the crisis we are facing, 
because we are facing a crisis.
  The number of migrant encounters at our southern border in January 
was the highest January number in more than 20 years. That, of course, 
followed a recordbreaking and staggering, I would add, 301,983 
encounters in the month of December--not only the highest December on 
record but the highest total for any month ever. And there is no end in 
sight. The first 4 days of March saw 7,000-plus migrant encounters each 
day, putting us on track for yet another month of 200,000-plus migrant 
encounters at the southern border.
  Of course, none of these numbers include ``got-aways,'' and those are 
individuals whom the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. 
There have been approximately 1.8 million known ``got-aways'' since 
President Biden took office and an untold number of unknown ``got-
aways'' over the same period.
  Now, this is a crisis on many levels. It is a logistical and 
enforcement crisis, it is a humanitarian crisis, and it is

[[Page S2222]]

a national security crisis. Our Nation is simply not secure as long as 
we have hundreds of thousands of unknown individuals taking up 
residence in our country.
  In fact, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, speaking about the 
number of ``got-aways'' at the border, told FOX News:

       [T]hose are the numbers that really keep us up at night, 
     because if you know that all you need to do is turn yourself 
     in to the Border Patrol and go through the process, what 
     possible reason would you have for wanting to evade capture? 
     Could it be that those are the folks that probably have 
     criminal intent?

  Chief Owens was referring to the fact that under the Biden 
administration's lax asylum system, individuals who show up at the 
border claiming asylum are frequently released into the country with 
court dates as much as a decade into the future. His point, of course, 
is that when turning yourself in to the Border Patrol with a claim for 
asylum is likely to result in years of essentially legal permanent 
residence, it is especially concerning that we have hundreds of 
thousands of individuals choosing not to turn themselves in to the 
Border Patrol but escaping into the interior of our country. Given 
that, it stands to reason that many of these ``got-aways'' have more 
malign intentions.
  While there are always various factors that affect the flow of 
illegal immigration, we are on track for a fourth--a fourth--
recordbreaking year of illegal immigration under the Biden 
administration because of the actions President Biden has taken or 
failed to take.
  From the day he took office, when he rescinded the declaration of a 
national emergency at our southern border, President Biden made it 
clear that border security was at the bottom of his priority list. Over 
the 3 years since, he has turned our southern border into a magnet for 
illegal migration--from repealing border policies of his predecessor to 
misusing our asylum and parole systems, which are now providing 
temporary amnesty to hundreds of thousands of individuals who are here 
illegally.
  Recent news reports suggest that President Biden is thinking of 
taking new, more substantial immigration action aimed at helping to 
finally stem the flow of illegal migration. I hope that is true, 
although given his record, I am not holding my breath.
  The President helped create this crisis, and he should end it. For 
example, tightening the asylum claims, as President Trump did, could 
help weed out many of the specious claims that are being made that 
allow individuals to take up long-term residence in our country.
  With 75 percent of respondents in a recent poll describing the 
situation at our southern border as ``a very serious problem'' or ``a 
crisis,'' perhaps election-year politics will do what 3 years of 
recordbreaking immigration has not done, and that is, force the 
President to take his responsibility for our Nation's security 
seriously and finally shut down the flow of illegal immigration at our 
southern border. But, as I said, given the President's record, I am not 
holding my breath.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hickenlooper). The clerk will call the 
roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.