The past year has seen record-breaking number after record-breaking number from the southwest border as President Joe Biden’s border crisis continues, yet citizens are still waiting for a secure border.
Last week, a new record was set for how many illegal aliens were encountered in one day—14,509. The previous record—12,000—had been set only two weeks previously.
The closing of federal fiscal year 2023 saw another record-breaking tally of 2,475,669 encounters with illegal aliens along the southwest border. However, the previous record was only from the year prior when U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 2,378,944 illegal border crossers.
In addition to just sheer numbers, the total number of FBI terror watchlist suspects arrested along the southwest border in federal fiscal year 2023 was 169, more than the previous six years combined.
Meanwhile, Americans are dead after a human smuggler attempted to evade police with a car full of illegal border crossers.
State Republican Executive Committeewoman Kelly Perry, also a border resident, chairs the GOP legislative priority committee on securing the border and protecting Texans.
Perry told Texas Scorecard, “I’ve had to get used to the sound of helicopters over my house. I receive text alerts almost daily with car chases going on all around and through my town and bailouts resulting in illegals absconding on foot through the brush or through town.
“Just this week, while returning home from San Antonio at night, I encountered a high-speed chase on Highway 90,” explained Perry. “In the distance ahead, I could see approaching at high speed 5 DPS units chasing a smuggler. The road is two lanes there. The uncertainty of which side of the road the person being chased would choose was so overwhelming, I was actually scared for our lives.”
Despite the dangers to citizens, the Biden administration has focused on directing Border Patrol agents to use illegal aliens’ preferred pronouns and coordinating mass swims across the Rio Grande into Texas.
Perry warns that although the issues currently appear to be contained to the border communities where you can see the effects of mass crossings, “for many in the United States, the most serious consequences of the border invasion have not yet occurred.”
“For those of you who haven’t yet been impacted, be patient; your time will come,” she said sadly. “As the numbers continue to increase, very few, if any, parts of our country will be spared. Overflowing hospitals and schools, housing issues, crime, sex trafficking, and more are coming to a town near you.”
Texas has attempted to slow the deluge in various ways—including through border barriers such as wire fencing and buoys—but is being challenged in court by the Biden administration.
Gov. Greg Abbott also created a busing program to send illegal aliens to “sanctuary” cities across the U.S., drawing considerable ire from Democrat mayors as well as criticism from conservatives for shepherding them further into the country.
Meanwhile, after slow-walking border security legislation through the Texas Legislature for months, lawmakers finally passed a measure that creates a state crime for entering Texas illegally earlier this month.
Although the new measure is being challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, if it is allowed to take effect, it will be a new tool for state law enforcement in March.
Perry told Texas Scorecard, “I wish we could have prevented this tragedy from happening. Yet, I am happy that Texas has decided that to wait for the federal government to fix a problem that they are complicit in sustaining is not a viable option.
“Beginning in March 2024, Texas will be equipped to begin taking our state back from lawless people and organizations. For all our sakes, I hope we can.”
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