Special Edition Border Report

- April 17, 2021

Dear fellow East Tennesseans,

This week, I joined some of my colleagues from the House Homeland Security Committee to witness just how bad Biden’s border crisis is firsthand. It was even worse than what has been reported. I wanted to share this ‘Special Edition Border Report’ as a recap of what I learned during my visit as well as a few recent actions I’ve taken to address the national security, humanitarian and public health crisis taking place. To stay updated on my work to immediately secure our border and complete construction on Trump’s border wall, please visit my Border Security Issues page on my website, which I regularly update as this crisis remains ongoing.

IN THE NEWS

Rep. Harshbarger shares insight from U.S.-Mexico border

Harshbarger: border crisis is worse than what has been reported

Harshbarger, other representatives visit border

GOP lawmakers urge VP Harris to visit border ASAP: ‘We invite you to make the journey’

House Republicans On Doctors Caucus Demand Answers From Fauci On Health Risks Related To Border Crisis

SAW BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS FIRSTHAND

Here are just some of the startling facts I learned during my visit at to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV):

In the RGV, 40% of Border Patrol agents are being pulled away from their national security duties to deal with the humanitarian crisis.
So far this fiscal year, there have been at least 15,000 “got-aways” or people who were not apprehended at the border.
The Donna, TX, migrant processing center was at 420% capacity when I visited.
Migrants are paying smugglers on average $4,000 to reach the southwest border.
10% of individuals leaving U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody are testing positive for COVID-19.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO SOLVE THIS CRISIS?

What I heard most from folks in the field is that we need the laws already on the books to be enforced, such as finishing construction of the border wall, extending Title 42 and reinstating the Trump Administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols. Read my full statement here.

THANK YOU TO THE DEDICATED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS PROTECTING OUR BORDER

I would like to thank all of our brave and dedicated men and women serving in the CBP and Texas rangers who are protecting our southern border!

DEMANDING ANSWERS ON THE CRISIS

Upon returning from our southwest border, I signed the following letters demanding answers from the Biden administration:

I called on Vice President Kamala Harris, whom President Biden appointed to “lead the efforts” on the border, to visit the border and see the crisis for herself. My visit was eye-opening, she needs to see what must be solved!
I joined many of my fellow GOP Doctors Caucus colleagues in communicating our grave concerns to Dr. Anthony Fauci on the lack of COVID-19 accountability at the border. The letter stated that Dr. Fauci should use his position to publicly express concerns over the national health emergencies created by this surge in illegal immigration. At just one illegal immigrant processing facility, there were reports of over 3,500 immigrants in a holding facility with just a 250-person capacity, with many not wearing masks or COVID tested. These conditions are a reckless violation of COVID-19 mitigation measures.
I also joined many of my fellow conservative colleagues in signing a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The letter restated our concerns about this unlawful, manmade humanitarian and national crisis. It highlighted the current lack of adequate accounting on the nature and to what extent illegal immigrants are dispersed. The letter demands these agencies quickly provide Congress information on the name and location of each city or town where illegal immigrants have been sent or were provided funding for travel to or were allowed travel by their own or private funding along with the total number of immigrants who were allowed to travel there. The letter emphasizes how critical this information is for Congress to understand how the illegal flow of migrants over the southern border affects ALL Americans in each of the 50 states.

Sincerely,