Crapo, Risch propose getting back to building the wall

March 9, 2023

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) with Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Solving the Border Crisis Act. This bill would secure the southern border by resuming construction of the border wall, strengthening management and enforcement capacities and upholding the rule of law.

“Since President Biden took office, more than 4.7 million illegal immigrants – double the population of Idaho – have been encountered at the southern border," Risch said. "This is a direct result from the president’s open border policies that have catalyzed a full-blown disaster. With my legislation, the Solving the Border Crisis Act, America would return to reasonable, commonsense border polices that not only stop illegal immigration but deter it. This legislation would resume construction of the border wall, extend Title 42, and improve equipment and resources for enforcement and border patrol. Strong border policies are the only solution to President Biden’s ever-growing immigration disaster.”

“A record number of illegal border crossings on the Biden Administration’s watch has created a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions and fueled the increased smuggling of deadly drugs such as fentanyl into our country,” Crapo said. “This ongoing crisis demands a stronger, more effective leadership. Congress must act to secure the border now, as we cannot rely on the Executive Branch to do so.”

The Solving the Border Crisis Act will:
  • Immediately resume border wall construction;
  • Make the Remain in Mexico program permanent;
  • Disapprove of a Biden administration rule allowing asylum officers to hear asylum claims instead of immigration judges;
  • Establish a sense of Congress that the President declare a national security emergency at the southern border;
  • Extend Title 42 until at least 120 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency;
  • Require a comprehensive plan of action to address the influx of illegal migrants should Title 42 be terminated;
  • Establish minimum staffing levels for immigration enforcement, border patrol and field operation agents;
  • Ensure sufficient detention facilities are funded for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to meet requirements;
  • Determine if Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is collecting the DNA of unlawful migrants as authorized by law to help with criminal investigations in the U.S.; and
  • Require DHS to report how the agency is attempting to mitigate border encounters.

"NumbersUSA applauds Senator Risch for introducing the Solving the Border Crisis Act," said Rosemary Jenks, Director of Government Relations for NumbersUSA. "This bill would go a long way toward mitigating the Biden Administration’s self-imposed border crisis by requiring the implementation of proven strategies to deter asylum fraud and regain control of our southern border. We look forward to working with Senator Risch to pass this important legislation.”

Based in Washington D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, NumbersUSA Action is, according to its website, "the nation's largest grassroots immigration-reduction organization with more than five million participants in all 435 congressional districts. Members act to persuade public officials to support immigration policies that protect all Americans—especially the most vulnerable and including the foreign-born—from losing wages, individual freedoms, quality of life, and access to nature due to excessive immigration numbers that indiscriminately enlarge the U.S. population, the labor force and government costs."