Here’s What’s Happening at the Southern Border

Our immigration system is broken — but not beyond repair.

A note to our readers: Today we bring a piece to you by Jobe Dickinson, president of the Border Security Alliance, on the situation at our southern border. He breaks down why he believes so many new migrants are crossing the border, what it means for our state and nation, and what solutions could look like. We hope you find this column thoughtful and interesting.

As a reminder, this piece is an opinion submission from a guest columnist. It differs from our round-ups, which are straight news.

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In Arizona, we know firsthand the challenges associated with illegal immigration. From rising crime, to overwhelmed border patrol agents, to humanitarian crises, border security consistently remains a top concern for Arizonans — and for good reason. New records are reached each day as hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flood the U.S. border with Mexico. 

This issue is not new: As a nation founded on a tradition of ordered liberty, we have always been a destination for those who are escaping violence or poverty who seek a shot at the American Dream. But we have understood for a long time that there ought to be an organized way to enter our country which enables migrants and lifelong Americans to pursue happiness. 

Now, decades of failure to take the crisis at our southern border seriously have led to a complete loss of operational control. Washington D.C. can no longer ignore this problem, especially as the challenges and costs of illegal immigration are spreading beyond border states, and throughout the country. 

The broader American public is paying close attention, and rightfully so. A recent CBS News poll reveals that nearly 75% of Americans believe that the current situation at the border is a crisis or very serious situation. The public is also frustrated with national leadership, disapproving in large numbers with the way President Biden and Congress are handling the border. 

The numbers speak for themselves: Border Patrol had to release more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in the first quarter of the fiscal year with a Notice to Appear, the highest ever. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently admitted that since the beginning of the Biden Administration, they have released more than 1 million illegal migrants per year into the United States, averaging a 70% release rate into our communities. Just last year, of the 2.5 million illegal entries, there were only 142,580 deportations. 

The men and women who courageously serve in our nation’s Border Patrol are being set up for failure. A lack of manpower and resources have not allowed these individuals to adequately do their jobs. Instead, staff are pulled from enforcement duties to process asylum seekers. Because of this operational shift, criminals and smugglers can cross the border easily without consequence. 

This strategy resulted in a recent decision to shut down legal ports of entry during the busy 2023 holiday season. The stop of legal trade and commerce, both auto and rail, was another economic hit to border communities who are already grappling with the financial impacts of illegal migrants. 

Recognizing there are few consequences for their actions, smugglers are constantly cutting barricades and border barriers to bring in people and drugs. According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, more than 6.75 million fentanyl pills and more than 26 pounds of fentanyl powder have been seized this year at only one particular port of entry in Nogales. While we applaud CBP for those seizes, it’s not enough. At the end of the day, there are enough drugs pouring into our country to kill every man, woman, and child in America several times over.

Far too many innocent lives are lost because of the deadly effects of even the smallest doses of fentanyl. In 2022 alone, 34 children — eight of whom were under the age of 5 — died from fentanyl overdoses in Arizona, according to a report from the State of Arizona. Unfortunately, we are not alone here in the Grand Canyon State; children are dying from fentanyl in communities in every corner of the country. 

For too long, our leaders in Washington D.C. have largely ignored the escalating crisis at the border. Arizona’s Congressional delegation has consistently sounded the alarm, but with little effect. Now, cartels and criminal syndicates are taking advantage of our operational weakness. Mexican cartels run sophisticated operations, pivoting based on changes in U.S. policy. They know that the United States has lost operational control of the border, and they are using it to their advantage. By overwhelming our border with thousands of asylum seekers, criminals have a much better chance of smuggling drugs, weapons, and counterfeit goods into the country. 

The expiration of Title 42 last summer without any replacement policy started this downward spiral. Although Title 42 was a bandaid on a severe wound, it was better than nothing. Coupled with President Biden’s unwillingness to allow border governors to use state resources to fortify their own borders, the cartels saw a huge opportunity and decided to act.

As a former law enforcement officer, I have seen firsthand the importance and success of multi-jurisdictional collaboration when it comes to public safety. Our border challenges would greatly benefit from more collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies. The only way we will be able to fight against the cartel and criminal syndicates is through streamlined information sharing. Customs and Border Protection also needs additional resources to properly manage processing asylum seekers, stop criminal activity, and monitor our legal ports of entry without diverting resources from one to another. 

Our immigration system is broken; it has been for decades. We need a viable and realistic process that allows individuals and families to come to the United States legally and humanely. Congress must tackle comprehensive immigration reform if we ever want America to have a secure border. Until then, migrants will continue to take illegal measures, overwhelming our ports of entry, and degrading what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America.

Jobe Dickinson is the President of the Border Security Alliance. He is a retired law enforcement officer of the Tucson Police Department. During his tenure with Tucson Police, he served as a patrol officer, undercover surveillance officer, auto theft investigator, field training officer, patrol sergeant, and Special Events Sergeant.