San Diego County has, in the past seven weeks, experienced an unprecedented influx of over 30,500 migrants. The escalating situation at our border, compounded by the recent statements from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledging the broken state of our immigration system, demands immediate attention.
The numbers speak for themselves: in September alone, there were 269,735 migrant encounters at the southern border, marking the highest single-month record. Furthermore, the fiscal year 2023 has seen a staggering 2.47 million encounters reported by Border Patrol, an all-time high for a single year. There have also been more than 1.6 million “known gotaways” at the southern border, which are individuals detected by Border Patrol agents but not apprehended. These unsustainable border policies directly threaten the safety of our communities and the nation as a whole.
The current state of our border is untenable. I am advocating for the urgent shutdown of the border to new immigrants, an essential measure to restore order and safety. This must be accompanied by comprehensive efforts to secure the border effectively. We must take a firm stance to protect our community and nation from the repercussions of this crisis.
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