WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) today released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of President Biden's inauguration, condemning the handling of the crisis at our southern border.  

“Hours after his inauguration, President Biden reversed several successful immigration policies, kicking off his administration with a signal to the world that our southern border was wide open,” said Congressman Gonzales. “Since then, we have seen the border crisis escalate to record levels we have never seen before, and Americans have paid the price. Sadly, with no tangible solutions coming from the White House, there is no end in sight to this crisis. Biden’s term as president will be marked by complete chaos at the southern border with devastating effects for our country.”

Border Crisis by the Numbers:

• 1.7 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at our southern border in FY’21, 146,925 of which were unaccompanied minors. 
• 1.6 million cases backlogged in the immigration court system. 
• Out of 104,171 migrants issued Notices to Report by ICE between the end of March and the end of August 2021, 47,705 failed to report within that time frame.
• More than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the southern border in FY’21, more than in the previous 2 years combined.
• Apprehensions from more than 106 countries, including those who are on terrorist watch-lists. 

January also marks the first anniversary of Congressman Gonzales' own swearing-in. During his first year in office, he has offered the following solutions to combat the crisis:

• The Security First Act: Focuses on providing more resources to law enforcement through Operation Stonegarden, a grant program that allows local law enforcement to augment border patrol efforts at the southern border. 
• Border Patrol Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2021: Addresses the recruitment and retainment issues that Border Patrol has struggled with by ensuring agents receive fair pay.
• RAPID Act: Reimburses farmers and ranchers for damages and vandalism that occurred on their property due to the illegal immigration crisis. 
• BASE Act: Restricts federal funds from being used to enforce a vaccine mandate on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers. Allows for alternatives to the vaccine, such as personal protective equipment and regular testing schedules. 
• Bipartisan Border Solutions Act: increases staffing at CBP and ICE, shifts border patrol agents out of processing centers and back to their field duties, prevents the uncoordinated release of migrants, and creates pilot programs to expedite removals of weak asylum cases.