Amidst a New Year vacation on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, President Joe Biden faces mounting criticism from Republican lawmakers as a crisis unfolds at the southern border. A Fox News report on Saturday, December 30, 2023, underscores the escalating discussions on how to address the surging influx of illegal immigrants, placing strain on the infrastructures of border towns and sanctuary cities like New York City.
Sources disclosed to the media outlet that December 2023 has witnessed an unprecedented 276,000 migrant encounters, marking the highest month on record. This surge has reignited the immigration policy debate, with Republicans blaming the Biden administration for perceived inaction and a failure to uphold border security.
“President Biden’s entire presidency has been a vacation from reality — 760,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered at the border since October,” asserted Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., chairman of the House GOP Policy Committee. He accused Biden of intentional negligence, suggesting the president has no inclination to halt the influx while choosing to vacation as the border situation worsens.
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“President Biden has no desire to stop it. He will continue to vacation while the border burns because this is the outcome he wants,” he told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the urgent need for the administration to address the crisis. “President Biden’s dereliction of duty is on full display while he sits on the beach and ignores the thousands of illegal immigrants invading our country daily,” Weber remarked, warning that without immediate action, the fabric of America would be unrecognizable.
Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, highlighted the severity of the situation, suggesting that Biden may not fully grasp the gravity of the problem while lounging on the beaches of St. Croix. “Texans are enduring some of the highest numbers of illegal crossings on record while the White House and Senate Democrats refuse to take action,” Pfluger expressed.
The media outlet reported grim statistics, with over 760,000 migrant encounters at the southern border since the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. This staggering figure makes the first quarter of fiscal 2024 the highest on record, accompanied by 82,000 known getaways, underscoring the challenges faced by border enforcement agencies.
Republicans attribute the surge to the Biden administration’s policies, particularly the discontinuation of Trump-era measures. They argue that the lax approach to immigration enforcement has emboldened illegal crossings. Meanwhile, the administration contends it grapples with a broader hemisphere-wide challenge and insists on the necessity of additional funding and immigration reform legislation from Congress.
Rep. Mark Alford, R-Texas, voiced discontent, stating that Biden and his officials “should be ashamed” of the U.S. migrant crisis’s current state. He criticized President Biden for prioritizing vacations over finding lasting solutions.
