This month, we learned of a dramatic increase of illegal crossings at our southern border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 177,000 arrests were made in August, “up from 132,652 in July and 99,539 in June.”

This surge of illegal crossings stands in sharp contrast to the Trump years when border crossings were at decade lows. Because of the success during the Trump Administration, we know that the illegal alien invasion can be stopped. Securing our southern border is simple, but the Biden Administration lacks the will to end this crisis.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has failed this nation. His refusal to secure our border surely is not due to incompetence.

I’m left with only one conclusion. He despises the elements of our nation that make us great: the rule of law, love of country, and respect for one another. You would have to hold a certain amount of disdain for the American people to allow this tragedy to continue.

In the private sector, company boards call for a vote of no confidence in executives and remove them from office if they are incapable of getting the job done. Congress ought to do the same for the official charged with implementing President Biden’s deadly open border policies.

For these reasons, I was one of the first cosponsors of the House resolution to impeach Mayorkas and end the suffering he has inflicted upon the American public.

As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I have fought to reinstate Trump-era border policies and restore the rule of law. During my two visits to the southern border, I saw firsthand the consequences of the Biden administration’s crisis.

In March, we held a committee hearing at the southern border so members of Congress could see in person the devastation caused by Mayorkas. While Republicans went to work fighting to solve this crisis, Democrats couldn’t be bothered to show up.

By undermining the authority of U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Biden Administration has surrendered operational control of the southern border to the Mexican cartel. These brave men and women, though overwhelmed, are still carrying out their oath to protect the homeland.

At the border, I witnessed Border Patrol agents stop a van loaded with 70 lbs. of pure-grade cocaine at a port of entry. I learned that the Mexican drug lords were flying dozens of drones to smuggle illicit drugs across the border and that Secretary Mayorkas wasn’t doing a thing about it.

There are several companies in North Alabama that hold the capability of dropping these drones on the spot – something I noted during a recent committee hearing. America is under attack, but the Biden administration refuses to invest in securing our homeland.

The Mexican cartel feels emboldened by Joe Biden’s inaction. Allowing this invasion to continue while a generation of Americans die from fentanyl overdoses is nothing short of criminal.

I also saw miles of wall construction materials rusting on the ground. After research, I found that the Biden administration’s decision to let these materials go to waste has cost the Department of Defense over $300 million since 2021. Americans are footing the bill for Biden’s reckless decision to halt wall construction.

I was proud to introduce the Finish It Act, which requires the Pentagon to transfer or donate unused border wall construction materials to U.S. border states that will use them to finish President Trump’s border wall.

I’m proud that provisions of this legislation passed as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

Whether you like him or not, President Trump’s border policies worked. He put America first by championing “Remain in Mexico,” building the border wall, and sending illegal aliens back to their country of origin.

For all the things Joe Biden blames on President Trump, he should blame President Trump for leaving him with the most secure border in modern American history. All he had to do was keep Trump’s policies in place. Instead, they choose to allow hospitals, schools, and public services to be inundated by foreign nationals who have no right to be here. This is a slap in the face to every law-abiding, taxpaying U.S. citizen.

It has gotten so bad that in July, the House had to pass a bill called the Schools Not Shelters Act. This bill prohibits sanctuary cities and states from sheltering illegal immigrants in school gymnasiums and lunchrooms. We should fix the border, not stop our children from going to P.E.

Under Biden and Mayorkas, every state in the nation has become a border state. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, more than 91,000 illegal aliens reside in Alabama. This doesn’t include the 31,000 children born of illegal alien parents in our state.

A solution to the problem sits on the table, with Democrats refusing to admit their America Last border policies have failed. Legislation to end the illegal immigration crisis is being stalled in the Senate by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

This Spring, House Republicans passed the Secure the Border Act. This bill would resume border wall construction, provide effective border enforcement technology, block the flow of illegal drugs into our country, and support Border Patrol agents.

Mayorkas has probably done more to undermine our nation than any administration official in U.S. history. Whether it’s his incompetence or the White House seeing illegal aliens as future Democratic voters, it is past time to impeach this secretary.

The solution is simple. We need to finish the wall, send illegal aliens back to the countries they came from, and end the Mexican cartel’s reign of terror at the southern border. It’s time to put America first, and that starts with sending Mayorkas into unemployment.

Congressman Dale W. Strong represents the Fifth District of Alabama and is a member of the House Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Science, Space and Technology Committees.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.

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