Brandon Judd on toll of migrant crisis on Border Patrol: ‘We are defeated’
National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd on how Border Patrol is feeling ahead of the end of Title 42
Title 42 could end on Wednesday. If this occurs, intelligence reports indicate that arrests of illegal aliens at the border could immediately soar to 14,000 per day on December 21st and then level out at 18,000 per day. Once this happens -- and it will happen -- there will be almost no agents left to patrol our southwest border with Mexico. The cartels will gain complete control.
The consequences of Biden’s self-inflicted border crisis have already been disastrous, but as bad as it is now, we’re only experiencing the tip of the iceberg.
The well-known and widely accepted phrase, "Actions speak louder than words." has never applied to President Joe Biden. And in no area is this truer than border security. Instead, President Biden and the White House rely upon rhetoric, deflection, and in many cases, outright lies. They know the mainstream media will not fact-check them, so when Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says things like "the border is secure" and "the President has implemented a plan to secure the border" her lies simply become the truth.
If President Biden was graded on actions, he would fail miserably. But as we have seen time and time again, his actions are not judged. Rather, he is graded on rhetoric. If his words fit the media’s narrative, he is given an A+.
While in many private sector jobs this would simply mean some lost profit, for the American people it has disastrous consequences. And those consequences are playing out in front of our eyes right now.
For years, ruthless criminal cartels have responded to U.S. policy to maximize profits. The cartels don’t thrive in times of tough enforcement policies. They thrive and generate record revenue by efficiently smuggling dangerous drugs, criminal aliens and aliens from countries who wish to do us harm during times of soft enforcement policies like we currently have.
Never in our history have the cartels generated more revenue than they do now. And it all starts by using illegal immigration to overwhelm Border Patrol resources. And while President Biden’s policies have already allowed the cartels to overwhelm resources, the chaos is about to get much, much worse.
WHITE HOUSE INSISTS IT IS PREPARING FOR TITLE 42 EXPIRATION, WON'T SAY HOW
Historically, the Border Patrol apprehends between an average of 1,000 to 1,200 people daily. When that number climbs to 2,000 resources are stretched thin. When it climbs to 3,000 agents begin being pulled from patrol duties on the border to perform administrative duties such as processing, transport, hospital watch and detention security. For every additional 1,000 people, even more agents are pulled from patrol duties, which leaves huge gaps in border coverage. These gaps are exploited by cartels and deadly drugs like fentanyl make it into our country and on to our streets.
From the first month of the Biden administration, Border Patrol apprehensions surged to five times the manageable level. Today, even before the end of Title 42, apprehensions are eight times higher than manageable. Based upon these numbers, it should be no surprise that the U.S. set records in drug overdose deaths during Biden’s first two years in office, and that is just an encore.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER
While everything looks hopeless right now, there is a solution. But only if President Biden is willing to put the American people ahead of politics.
President Biden could re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols, better known as the Remain in Mexico Program. This program allowed the Border Patrol to get more control of the border than at any time in the history of my 25-year career. Fewer illegal incursions of both people and drugs took place, allowing a very real sense of increased security for the American people.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
When our border security is abandoned, as it has been over the past two years, our citizens suffer. If there were no solutions the current chaos might be understandable, but there are solutions, and they don’t require the re-creation of the wheel.
Here's to hoping the Biden dministration will finally put the health and safety of Americans above politics. And here’s to hoping this White House will finally be judged for its actions instead of being given a pass with its rhetoric.
Get the recap of top opinion commentary and original content throughout the week.