The southern border has been a hot topic in the 2024 presidential election, and in Congress as Republicans and Democrats battle to find the best policy to deal with the issue. Outside of politics, what is going on at our southern border? On the simplest level, immigration has skyrocketed since Covid-19 from Latin and South American countries, including a recent rise in Chinese and Indian citizens. According to Immigration Statistics, the foreign population under President Biden has increased to about 172,000 per month, which is 4x greater than the pre-covid. Alongside mass immigration comes heightened illegal immigration. Out of the estimated 6.4 million increase in foreign-born population since 2021, roughly 3.7 million illegally entered the United States.

This is a monumental issue in the U.S. due to the security risk heightened levels of immigration cause. In a recent congressional hearing, FBI director Chris Wray stressed that “We have had dangerous individuals entering the United States…” and that “We are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border.” In his mind, there is “no doubt” that national security is at risk with heightened levels of violent crime, drug trafficking (specifically fentanyl), and potential foreign threats. Each issue has a vital importance in mitigating the problem before more Americans are further affected.

Rising Fentanyl Crisis and How the Southern Border Intersects:

This surge in illegal immigration not only poses logistical challenges but also has significant implications for public safety. In FY 2023 the CBP seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl bound for the United States. Given that 2 milligrams of pure fentanyl can be a lethal dose, the amount seized is enough to kill 6 billion people in the U.S. all from last year’s seizures alone. It is estimated that 90% of all illicit smuggling of fentanyl is seized by border control. If 10% of all smuggled fentanyl is still making its way into the country, thousands of individuals will continue to die of overdose. A lot of the fentanyl is smuggled through basic means of transportation, usually hidden underneath floorboards or packaged as normal goods. CBP Senior Official Troy Miller said that “In my 30 years as a customs official, the trafficking of synthetic illicit drugs like fentanyl is one of the toughest, most daunting challenges I have ever seen.” When you include heightened immigration numbers that deplete our border resources and stretch them thin, the challenge only increases. More than 150 Americans die each day due to synthetic drug overdoses, the majority of them being fentanyl-related. Due to its cost efficiency and ease of production, drugs like cocaine are often “cut” or watered down with fentanyl to increase profitability and make the drug less potent. Often times the client is unaware of Fentanyl usage.

The most active drug trafficking site along the southern border is in San Diego, where a significant amount of fentanyl is seized regularly. In FY 2022, over 60% of the nation’s seizures occurred in San Diego with patrol officers seizing hundreds of pounds in individual busts. San Diego County saw a 2,375% increase in fentanyl-related deaths in 2021 compared to 2016. One specific story revolves around Kole William Pearson, a young 18-year-old boy who purchased what he thought were prescription painkillers, which turned out to be laced with fentanyl. Within minutes of indigestion, Kole sadly passed away from an overdose of fentanyl, which unfortunately is a similar case multiplied in San Diego and throughout the country. With a surging border, the crisis is only exacerbated by the increased possibility of smuggling synthetic drugs.

Criminal Activity and Foreign National Concerns:

With a large influx of legal and illegal immigration comes an influx of unwanted individuals entering the United States. According to ICE, in 12 days in January 2024, 171 illegal immigrants with horrific criminal pending charges were apprehended in the United States. These charges include murder, attempted homicide, rape, and/or assault against children. In addition to these individuals, the Enforcement and Removal Operation (ERO) arrested 73,822 illegal immigrants with criminal histories in FY 2023. Combined, this group has a staggering 290,178 associated charges and convictions averaging 4 per individual, with many including the previously mentioned charges. This group only accounts for those arrested in the U.S. within the past 21 months. This is not to say that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than citizens, but by allowing mass levels of immigration into our country, there has been an increase in criminals entering the United States.

In the last four years under President Biden, illegal immigrant criminal activity has shot up in the United States. From illegal immigrants, homicide counts have increased 1436%, sexual offenses have increased 185%, battery and domestic violence have increased 134%, burglaries have increased 122%, and illegal possession of weapons charges have increased 167%. Of these staggering statistics, three of the homicide victims include Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, and Laken Riley. Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year old girl from Houston strangled by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants. Rachel Morin was a 37-year old woman who was raped and murdered on a bike trail in Bel Air, Maryland by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Laken Riley was a 22-year old nursing student who was killed on her morning run at the University of Georgia by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. These horrific crimes are the consequences of mass immigration that are happening all over the country.

Foreign Nationals are also a heightened threat to our national security occurring at the southern border. FBI director Chris Wray said that there is “no doubt” that criminals, specifically potential foreign adversaries, have entered the United States southern border. His concerns have been heightened following the October 7th events in Israel, and the large influx of individuals flooding our southern border. In a recent Congressional Homeland Security Hearing and Statistics Post, some specific numbers of increasing Chinese national illegal, and illegal immigration were presented.

In FY2019, roughly 2,060 Chinese nationals were apprehended at our southern border showing pre-Covid numbers. In the 3 fiscal years to date under the current administration, the number of Chinese Nationals caught entering between ports of entry, or illegally, increased from 342 in FY2021 to 24,125 in FY2023. Regardless of why these individuals may be entering, the sheer number of Chinese nationals entering our country illegally poses a large threat to our national security, as China is a very powerful adversary.

What Does This Reform Look Like?

To solve these issues a plethora of ideas have been explored, but very little has been implemented to solve this crisis. Some recommendations from Homeland Security include reintroducing President Trump’s Title 42, also known as “Remain in Mexico”. Essentially what this does is alter the current idea of “catch and release”, which allows certain illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. while giving them a court date to appear before a judge. Instead, it requires immigrants to stay in Mexico while their cases are being processed in the U.S., which allows our institutions to do their job, take their time, and deep dive into each case to keep out criminals. In addition to this, it takes pressure off of our detention facilities for those detained upon arrival, legal aid in representing these individuals, and the backlog of cases to appear before our courts. Overall, it is a much more cost-effective temporary solution to the surging number of immigrants wishing to cross our southern border.

Another way to release pressure on border patrol and other institutions is to pass an Asylum Cooperative Agreement (ACA). What an ACA does is create a bilateral agreement with the U.S. and Northern Triangle Countries (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) making asylum seekers seek asylum in the countries they pass through. This would create a multiple checkpoint pathway for those immigrants who pose a threat to the U.S. to be granted asylum in multiple countries before even making it to the United States border. The ACA would this deter dangerous individuals from ever beginning the journey to our border and help manage migration flows encouraging responsibility through numerous immigration systems. Regardless of what path we choose to take, some sort of bi-partisan legislation must taken to secure our border. The current levels of immigration are unsustainable and hold dire consequences.

Read More:

FBI Director’s Testimony on National Security Threats  

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)- Fentanyl Crisis  

ICE – Criminal Alien Statistics 

The Impact of Title 42 on U.S. Immigration Policy  

Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Central American Countries 

Fentanyl Smuggling Routes and Methods  

National Institute on Drug Abuse – Fentanyl Overdose Crisis  

Migration Policy Institute – Trends in Illegal Immigration 

Congressional Testimony on Chinese Nationals at the U.S. Border  

Security Concerns at the U.S.-Canada Border