U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) joined the U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) and 64 other House Republicans in a visit to the southern border on Wednesday to further pressure the Biden administration to address the growing migrant crisis.
Members met with local officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety and toured a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing facility.
In a statement to 1819 News, Aderholt said, "What is happening at our border – today and every day since President Biden was sworn into office three years ago – is outrageous and must be stopped," He added. "People were streaming across the border illegally as we watched. And there is no way to know who these people are or what their intentions are. Our border patrol officers and our nation are at a breaking point. And the Biden Administration seems to not care."
In a video from Aderholt, the delegation visiting the border did not seem to faze or deter the illegal immigrants from crossing. Throughout the video, several can be seen crossing the border within just a few hundred feet of the delegation.
Aderholt laid the blame for the illegal migrant crisis squarely at the feet of President Joe Biden.
"On his first day in office, President Biden rolled back Trump policies that were working, including construction of the border wall," Aderholt said. "And his Administration has attacked anyone who suggests or attempts to fix this disaster, whether it be members of Congress or state and local officials."
Aderholt, his colleagues on the trip, and those in Alabama's republican delegation agreed the problem could be solved if the "Remain in Mexico" policy was reinstated and Trump's border wall completed. However, Aderholt has no faith the Biden administration will act.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) "FINISH IT Act" was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed at the end of 2023.
This provision requires the Department of Defense to provide unused border wall materials currently in storage to either build the border wall or transfer it to border states to allow them to construct the wall.
Aderholt's border visit comes on the heels of recent record-level crossings at the U.S. southern border. December 2023 holds the record at 302,000 migrant interactions, preceded by September 2023 with 269,735, according to CBP.
Alabama's delegation has been hard at work trying to push back against the Biden administration, even attempting to impeach Secretary for Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Republicans in the U.S. House failed to impeach Mayorkas. Still, they said with a slim majority in the U.S. House and Democrats controlling the U.S. Senate, the best way to resolve the issue would be to reelect Trump and elect more Republicans to both chambers of Congress.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) has also been vocal about the border crisis. He recently criticized the Biden administration for using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide medical care to illegal immigrants for free, something not even all military veterans could receive. Tuberville introduced the "No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act" in response.
Tuberville press secretary Hannah Eddins shared a post on X of the senator discussing the issues with Todd Starnes from NewsMax.
Aderholt's full video from the trip posted to YouTube included him discussing the worst parts of the immigration crisis: the human trafficking of young women and kids and the smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs. He said it was not only a problem for those in Texas but for all Americans nationwide.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email Bradley.cox@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
