| Photo by Cole Patrick on Unsplash
Part XIV of the “United States 2024 Election
Let us first congratulate the Biden Administration for removing and deporting more illegal migrants than the Trump Administration. As many Lincoln Republicans are saying, Mr. Trump is “all hat and no cattle,” to use a Texan adage.
According to new data published on November 2, 2023, the Biden Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed a higher percentage of arrested border crossers in its first two years than the Trump DHS did over the last two years. Moreover, migrants were more likely to be released after a border arrest under President Trump than under President Biden.
In absolute terms, the Biden DHS is removing 3.5 times as many people per month as the Trump DHS. These figures are essential for understanding how each administration has conducted border enforcement.
Please see the report made by the Cato Institute at this link.
Under President Biden, the DHS made over 5 million arrests in its first 26.3 months, removing nearly 2.6 million —51 percent— while releasing only 49 percent. In other words, the Trump DHS removed a minority of those arrested, while the Biden DHS removed a majority. The Biden Administration managed to increase the removal share while also increasing the total removals by a factor of 3.5.
Now, this instant column suggests how the Biden Administration can deal with and reduce the flow of migrants and asylum seekers at all its borders without needing further congressional approval. The present system of removal of applicants with felony records is already in place, as legislated by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the POTUS.
There is also a common-sense way of reducing the flow of prohibited drugs to the United States by “drug mules” or couriers who are often naturalized American citizens or permanent residents. How?
The Biden Administration has to allow law-enforcement authorities at the border to follow the practice of American consulates of processing foreigners with approved applications for immigration visas. Before the would-be permanent residents’ passports are stamped with the entry approval at the port of entry, they undergo medical tests. The tests are done at clinics approved by the U.S. consulates to determine if the applicants have tuberculosis or other ailments and are drug-free. They usually undergo X-rays and other tests. The tests can be done in Mexico, which has enough medical facilities to do them legitimately.
In fact, even applicants for tourist and business visas are also required by U.S. consulates to bring certificates from the approved clinics or hospitals that they are healthy. And vaccinated against viruses like the COVID-19 variants; Chinese- or Russian-made vaccines are not acceptable.
It is easy to determine if illegal migrants and asylum seekers have prohibited drugs in their bodies by testing clips of their hair. Urine tests are not practical, as abstinence from drug use for approximately seven days erases the presence of said prohibited drugs in their system.
“The mere formal announcement by the DHS of the above new deterrent steps against “drug mules” migrants and asylum seekers of being turned down — and deported — will create an instant reduction of their numbers. Why? Because very few among them will risk losing their chance to remain in the United States if they use prohibited drugs.”
But urine tests can be done by the DHS as a final deterrent before the migrants and asylum seekers can be permitted to cross the border. It will take only minutes with the right medical equipment to determine whether prohibited drugs are in the urine samples.
For drug mules, the most significant deterrence is the cancellation of their green card or citizenship by naturalization.
Yes, it will be easy to terminate their permanent residency status and even file for revocation of their naturalization (for “drug mules” if they are caught smuggling prohibited drugs like fentanyl). How? Because the DHS — and the American consulates abroad — warn those with approval to immigrate to the United States that any felony act committed will terminate the process to receive their “green cards.” And if the naturalized citizens are caught smuggling drugs, the DHS and the Department of Justice can petition a court of law to cancel the citizenship of the said “drug mules.” Chances are they had an addiction when they applied for permanent residency first. Lying on their application for naturalization is the cause of its disapproval. The burden of proof on personal non-drug use for the naturalized citizens caught smuggling prohibited drugs lies with them and not with the government agencies.
Likewise, subjecting asylum seekers and migrants to fingerprint tests (aside from using facial-recognition devices) will weed out those with existing or past criminal records. In fact, the mere knowledge among the asylum seekers and migrants of such fingerprinting and facial-recognition requirements — before the processing of any application to stay in the United States — will deter many of them with criminal records. However, the DHS should strengthen its ties with Interpol and other law-enforcement agencies abroad.
The mere formal announcement by the DHS of the above new deterrent steps against “drug mules” migrants and asylum seekers of being turned down — and deported — will create an instant reduction of their numbers. Why? Because very few among them will risk losing their chance to remain in the United States if they use prohibited drugs. Or if they do not follow the laws of the land. This will also cut down the effectiveness of organized smugglers (“coyotes”) of illegal migrants and asylum seekers.
In fact, the DHS should also announce that the use of “coyotes” is a criminal offense. The DHS warning can simply say that availing of the smugglers’ illegal services is a criminal offense by those who want to migrate to or seek political asylum in the United States. And results in an instant denial of any asylum claim.
