Axios dismissed the idea of an “open border” as a “myth” perpetuated by conservatives who apparently overlook the “reality” that “the southern border is more fortified than it’s ever been.”
“As the Biden administration grapples with the soaring number of migrants and asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, conservative pundits and politicians have upped accusations that some Democrats support ‘open border’ policies,” Axios reported Tuesday. “By using the term ‘open border,’ conservatives — including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is seeking the role of House speaker — are suggesting that anyone can get into the U.S. without much hassle.”
If the border were truly closed, however, then the FBI might not have issued a weekend warning over the “heightened environment” for terrorism.
On Saturday, FBI Director Christopher Way blamed the conflict in Israel for “an increase in reported threats” at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference.
“I’d encourage you to stay vigilant because as the first line of defense protecting our communities, you’re often the first to see the signs that someone may be mobilizing to violence,” Wray said.
While the FBI chief didn’t mention the weak entry points along the southern U.S.-Mexico border as openings for terrorism, federal data shows more than 150 illegal crossers were on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB).
“[T]errorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cautioned last week in the agency’s latest Homeland Threat Assessment.
On Monday, Fox News confirmed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that a pair of Iranians were caught by border patrol in September.
In other words, terrorists are finding it easier to enter the United States, along with the millions of migrants who’ve found their way across under the incumbent administration. Nearly 7 million have been “encountered” under President Joe Biden, with 3 million released into communities across the country. But the border isn’t “open?”
Fentanyl is coming too, with a 164 percent increase in CBP seizures within Biden’s first two years in office, according to the Wilson Center. Despite appearances to the contrary, the increase in seizures does not reflect a federal law enforcement apparatus doing its job, as the numbers illustrate a surge of illicit substances flowing over the border, with local police departments finding the drugs all over the country.
If the fentanyl seizures at the border indicated law enforcement has become more effective, Axios didn’t claim it. In fact, the online outlet failed to even mention the fentanyl crisis in Tuesday’s reporting. Axios reporter Russell Contreras merely compared today’s level of border enforcement to where it was throughout the 20th century.
“The United States hasn’t had an open border since the early 1920s, when it was relatively easy for migrants to cross from Mexico or simply buy a boat ticket from Europe,” Contreras wrote. “Before World War I, there were no American consulates to apply for a visa, and Mexican migrants and Mexican Americans went back and forth between both countries with ease.”
Before World War I, however, the entire population of Mexico was around 15 million. There weren’t 7 million migrants attempting to cross the border under each consecutive administration. The problem has become so severe today that earlier this month, President Biden capitulated to Republican demands for a border wall and resumed construction of the project in Texas.
Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.
What evidence supports the claim that the southern border is more fortified than ever?
E more effective, then why is the United States experiencing a worsening opioid crisis? The truth is that regardless of the rhetoric and claims made by the Biden administration and its supporters, the border is not as secure as they would like us to believe.
The Axios article argues that the idea of an “open border” is a myth perpetuated by conservatives. It states that the southern border is more fortified than ever, implying that anyone suggesting otherwise is misinformed or dishonest. This dismissal is a misleading attempt to downplay the real concerns surrounding border security.
The fact that the FBI issued a weekend warning about a “heightened environment” for terrorism demonstrates that there are legitimate security threats at the border. FBI Director Christopher Wray attributed the increase in reported threats to the conflict in Israel, but it is important to acknowledge the potential for terrorists and criminal actors to exploit weak entry points along the southern border.
Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security’s latest Homeland Threat Assessment warns that terrorists
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