Republican Hopefuls Tackle Border Crisis: During the fourth Republican Party debate on Wednesday night, the candidates present in Alabama were asked how they would address the crisis on the southern border.
National opinion polls show that immigration and immigrants entering the United States illegally are among the top issues in the country. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was unable to answer the question when asked by the moderators, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy discussed the topic in detail.
DeSantis spoke passionately about going after those who bring fentanyl into the country.
The drug cartels are invading our country and they are killing our citizens, DeSantis said.
He then advocated continuing to build a wall along the southern border.
Heres the thing: If we had a wall across the southern border, which I support, this wouldnt have happened. We need to build a wall across the southern border. I will do it, DeSantis told the audience, as Trump promised years ago by saying he would make Mexico pay for it.
Before Haley discussed the issue, she was asked about comments she made regarding the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants. Haley explained that she would initially deport all seven or eight million illegal cases that have come [into the U.S.] under [President Joe] Biden watch.
Haley said that migrants who have been in the country longer should be checked whether they have been vetted and paid taxes.
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Regarding illegal drugs, she called for special operations to deal with cartels. Haley also said China should be punished for producing fentanyl.
Look where fentanyl came from. Lets get to the bottom of it. It came from China. Thats why we need to end all normal trade relations with China until they stop murdering Americans with fentanyl, she said. I promise you they need our economy. They will stop that immediately.
Ramaswamy said, The easy part is talking about how we are going to use our military to secure the border. I will, and I think everyone else wants to do the same.
He also supported action against China but said the harder part is tackling the mental health epidemic raging across this country like wildfire rather than hitting the demand side of it.
Our Reader’s Queries
Why do we have border control?
Securing our borders against illegal smuggling of weapons, drugs, and people, as well as promoting legal trade and travel, is crucial for protecting our homeland, boosting our economy, and maintaining our national independence.
How many Border Patrol agents are on the southern border?
In fiscal year 2023, CBP has a hefty budget of $17.5 billion and a whopping 63,000 personnel, making it the biggest law enforcement agency in the country. A staggering 85 percent of the Border Patrol agents, which is 16,878 out of 19,648, are focused on the southern border.
What does Border Patrol look for when crossing?
Border Patrol has the authority to stop vehicles at specific checkpoints for two main reasons: (1) to ask a small number of questions to confirm the citizenship of the people in the vehicle, and (2) to visually examine the outside of the vehicle. If necessary, agents can direct a vehicle to a secondary inspection area for a brief interview and visual inspection for the same purpose.
What is the history of the Border Patrol?
The Border Patrol came into being on May 28, 1924, through an act of Congress aimed at addressing the rise in illegal immigration. This Act led to the transformation of the small border guard in the Bureau of Immigration into the Border Patrol, as required by the legislation.