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Oped to be published by Cincinnati Enquirer on March 8:
In 2018 I voted to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists. Since that time, according to the Department of Homeland Security, there have been 7 million more illegal border crossings. From day one of his administration, President Joe Biden has failed to take decisive action to address this pressing issue, putting the safety of our citizens and the integrity of our immigration system at risk.
Let's me be clear: the situation at the southern border is a full-blown crisis. Record numbers of migrants and foreign nationals, including unaccompanied minors, are pouring across our borders, overwhelming our immigration agencies and straining our resources to the breaking point. The Biden Administration's response? Denial, deflection, and empty promises.
Rather than acknowledging the severity of the crisis and taking meaningful steps to address it, Joe Biden and his administration have chosen to downplay the situation, referring to it as a "challenge" rather than a crisis. Americans don’t want semantics, we need security.
Perhaps most concerning is the toll that this crisis is taking on our communities and our country as a whole. Not only are we seeing a surge in illegal immigration, but we are also witnessing a corresponding increase in crime, drugs, and human trafficking. This is not just a border issue; it is a national security threat that demands immediate attention and decisive action from our leaders in Washington.
That’s why last year I traveled with members of Ohio law enforcement to one of the busiest areas of our southern border for illegal alien apprehension, human smuggling and narcotic seizures. Together, we saw first-hand how the border is open and Ohio is suffering because of it.
Over the span of two days inside Tucson Sector, we witnessed illegal immigrants brazenly attempt to scale a border wall in broad daylight. We joined Arizona law enforcement and federal authorities in the pursuit and successful apprehension of foreign nationals, human smugglers and drug mules with fentanyl on U.S. soil.
The root of this crisis can be traced to the first hours of the Biden Administration. Within minutes of taking the oath of office, Joe Biden ended Remain in Mexico, reenacted catch-and-release, signed an executive order that halted construction of the border wall and turned off technology meant to stop illegal border crossings. It was a tragedy to see miles of 3-story, concrete reinforced fencing sitting idle along a border road.
Instead of burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will go away, Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown need to step up and take responsibility for securing our southern border. We can’t play politics anymore. The border must be secured and sealed. The wall should be finished where appropriate. The technology in place should be turned back on, border patrol officers need to be given the authority to act as law enforcement officers, not mere escorts. The Remain in Mexico policy should be reinstated so true asylum seekers can be identified at requisite ports of entry. We need to end the catch and release policy once and for all.
We also need to get tough with the Chinese and Mexican governments. We need to use the full leverage of our trade and economy to force their hand in facilitating coordination to combat the cartels and prevent the flow of fentanyl into America.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, approximately 76 percent of overdose deaths in Ohio are caused by fentanyl that is coming from China to Mexico and over the border into the United States. Fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction that killed over 70,000 U.S. citizens last year. Would we let China ship bombs to Mexico destined for American streets? Of course not. Yet with our open border, bombs disguised as pills are flooding into our country.
Joe Biden's failure to secure the southern border is not just a failure of leadership; it is a betrayal of the American people and our nation's values. It’s time to stop playing the blame game and start electing leaders with the willpower and solutions to take the necessary steps to protect our borders, our communities, and our country. The safety and security of the American people depend on it. As I have done as a prosecutor, assistant state attorney general and legislator, I am determined to fix the problem.
Matt Dolan is a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.