During one of his briefings on immigration and border security, President Biden claimed many immigrants,
Mostly false or misleading. Significant errors or omissions. Mostly make believe.
However, true refugees do not make up the majority of migrants entering the United States. In fact, between July 2021 and July 2022, only 41,206 migrants qualified for the specific asylum application out of the 1.079 million migrants who attempted entry at the southern border. That’s equivalent to 3.8% of migrants. Thanks to social media instructional videos about how to enter the U.S. as a migrant, provided by foreign nations like China, it is difficult to assess the legitimacy of even those qualifying as asylum seekers.
The reputations of those coming in droves to the U.S. over the southern border should cause concern. Since fiscal year 2021, 294 suspected terrorists have been taken into custody. Additionally, the U.S. Border Patrol and Customs has apprehended almost 600 gang members, a notable fraction of the 35,000 illegal migrants caught have a criminal history. Unlike Biden’s claim, most of these illegal aliens venture across the border because of motivations quite dissimilar from the immigrants who founded America, seeking religious freedom and opportunity. If the majority of migrants were truly pursuing asylum, we would expect them to champion efforts that establish a brighter future for the U.S. In contrast, members of cartels utilize the open border as a catalyst for their fentanyl imports to the U.S. and human trafficking operations. In 2023 alone, the U.S. confiscated 27,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border. Continuing to value legal immigrants and help refugees begin anew within our borders, the U.S. offers hope to those oppressed by their motherlands. However, to say many illegal aliens resemble the Plymouth pilgrims who fled religious oppression is a far cry from reality.
To learn more about our immigration issues, read the policy focus: Border Security is Pro-Immigration and Pro-Security.