The Biden administration‘s top border officials are fleeing their posts at an unprecedented rate amidst a record–breaking influx of illegal immigrants into the United States.
Four of the seven officials to leave in recent months cited “personal reasons” for their departure, according to the Department of Homeland Security. But conservative watchdog groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) are leading the criticism of the Biden Administration, speculating that the unprecedented resignations are a sign of the gridlock sweeping the U.S.-Mexico border caused by the new administration‘s “open border policy.”
On June 22, FAIR released the results of their report showing that illegal immigrants cost U.S. taxpayers at least $163 billion annually. At the same time, illegal immigrant population living in the U.S. has reached 16.8 million. FAIR also reports that complaints are increasing from American who are feeling the impact of mass illegal border crossings, with rural Maine towns like Unity (population of 2,000) receiving 600 of Portland‘s illegal migrants. The DHS survey also reveals that 25 percent of the 9,300 border agents plan to quit their jobs in the near future.
On May 31, 18 states filed a federal complaint against the Biden administration for their new “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” policy, which allows illegal aliens to schedule their entry into the U.S. without proper vetting or safety protocols. On the same day, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz resigned after delivering blistering testimony to the House Committee on Homeland Security in March that contradicted Mayorkas’s claims that the border was secure. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Chief Tae Johnson and DHS Deputy Commissioner Benjamine Huffman subsequently announced their departures, the latter after only serving for years on the job. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus is also a notable departure, resigning in November amidst reports of controversy as then Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas threatened to fire him outright.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody says that the Biden administration‘s policies will have a long–lasting impact, leading to an unchecked influx of unvetted migrants, and less opportunities for U.S. citizens. “Help Wanted: Law Enforcement Staffing Challenges at the Border,” Texas Congressman Troy Nehls posted on Twitter in response to the FAIR report. Immigration attorney Nicolette Grazer isn‘t surprised by the mass resignations. In her 23 years of helping illegal immigrants, she sees the gross imbalances in Biden‘s immigration policies – what she describes as “neither–here–nor–there.”
“Right now, we really have a very backward approach” she says.
House Homeland Security Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Clay Higgins (R–La.) believes Mayorkas is silencing border officials standing in the way of the Biden administration‘s mission to “flood America with illegals and drugs.” So far, the only statement from the Biden administration on the mass exodus came from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, who thanked the departing leaders for their service.
The churning of Biden officials, and the speculation that must of the rest are following suit has conservatives and immigrants advocates on edge. Many worry what this could mean for the future of the U.S.-Mexico border.
