Gallagher: Ending Title 42 Will Make Border Crisis Worse

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today released the following statement after President Biden announced he was terminating Title 42.

"It's hard to believe, but President Biden has somehow found a way to make his border crisis worse. By revoking Title 42 – which his own administration has warned could lead to a surge in illegal immigration – the President is doubling down on open border policies that have created a crisis on our southern border and made our communities less safe. This administration has shown no interest in fixing this problem, which is why Congress needs to act. We can start by cancelling the upcoming recess to pass bills like mine that help secure the border, support border patrol agents, and crack down on cartels."

Background:

Earlier this Congress, Rep. Gallagher introduced a number of common-sense border security bills that would combat corruption in Mexico, restore fairness in our immigration system, and crackdown on cartels. These bills include:

H.R. 1687: Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act

• The Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act enables the federal government to impose on the most significant Transnational Criminal Organizations the same sanctions that apply to Foreign Terrorist Organizations including:
• Barring organization members and their immediate families from admission to the United States.
• Freezing assets.
• Seeking civil and criminal penalties against Individuals providing material assistance or resources to the organization.

H.R. 1120: Illicit Arms Trafficking Security Enforcement Act

• This bill would establish a Border Enforcement Security Team (BEST) within the Department of Homeland Security to focus solely on the reduction of arms trafficking. Of the current 57 BESTs, none are solely dedicated to arms trafficking.
• The purposes of the team would be to: reduce arms smuggling of weapons, weapon parts, munitions, explosives, and related items; apprehend arms smugglers; ensure coordination with ATF for data tracking of seized firearms through eTrace; deconflict arms trafficking investigations between DHS and DOJ.
• A recent GAO report found that 70% of weapons seized from cartels are smuggled across the border from the US to Mexico. This would ensure arms trafficking in and out of the country was better monitored and at a minimum would help ensure American companies aren't unwittingly supplying cartels with weapons.

H.R. 1121: Empowering Immigration Courts Act

• This bill would give immigration judges the authority to impose criminal fines on anyone in contempt of their court. Existing law allows for the Attorney General to define regulations to impose fines, but none have been put in place since the law's enactment 22 years ago.
• The Heritage Foundation published a study indicating that this lack of authority means those that come before the court "cannot be held accountable to the judge with respect to matters such as timelines, docketing dates, or even court orders."

H.R. 1122: Supporting Mexico Against Corruption (SMAC) Act

• This bill would combat corruption by requiring the President to impose Magnitsky Sanctions on individuals in the Mexican government that the U.S. Treasury Department has "credible evidence" engaged in corrupt activities outlined by the Global Magnitsky Act. Under the SMAC Act, the President would have 120 days to implement these sanctions.
• The Treasury Department has only sanctioned one Mexican government official for corruption and human rights abuses under the Magnitsky Act since passing the act in 2016. This would require the President to sanction anyone who meets the standards under the Magnitsky Act to help deter officials from aiding cartels.