Smucker Visits Biden’s Border Crisis

Washington, D.C. —Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) visited McAllen, Texas with his fellow colleagues on the House Budget Committee to see President Biden's border crisis first-hand.

Smucker's visit included briefings from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, touring border security infrastructure and processing facilities, meeting with members of the Texas Department of Public Safety, and a roundtable with local elected and law enforcement officials.

"The Biden administration continues to fail the American people by not securing our nation's southern border. The policies of the Biden administration have created the humanitarian and national security crisis we all are witnessing. Their refusal to secure our border is resulting in drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, and human trafficking which impacts communities like ours across the country. This is the result of weak border policies," said Smucker.

"Cartels earn an estimated $1 billion a month extorting migrants into paying fees. These dollars embolden criminal enterprises responsible for unspeakable crimes of human and drug trafficking. While criminals profit, CBP agents are not receiving the support they need to effectively do their jobs. I witnessed mile-wide gaps in border wall while nearby millions of dollars in construction materials paid for by the taxpayers continues to rust since the Biden administration stopped building.

"I applaud the work of the CBP agents who continue their work despite the lack of support they are receiving from the president's administration. Should Title 42 go away, CBP officials estimate that attempted crossings would increase nearly 25 percent. Congress and the Biden administration should be adopting policies to support CBP officials, not making their jobs more difficult. This is an intentional choice by the Biden Administration that is driven by politics, not good policy. For the good of our country, the Biden administration must work swiftly to put an end to this humanitarian and national security crisis," said Smucker.

Background:

• Rep. Smucker joined House Budget Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jason Smith and 10 other members on the trip to McAllen, Texas.
• McAllen, Texas is a part of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, which has received 287,175 encounters since FY2022.
• President Biden still has not visited the border to see his crisis first-hand.
• Click here to view photos of Rep. Smucker's visit.

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