Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSROOM | Republican LeaderSkip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER McCONNELL×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER McCONNELLxxsearchxMENUFacebookTwitterInstagramFacebookTwitterInstagramVisit Senator McConnell's site here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER McCONNELLxxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board12.05.23Democrats Still Refuse To Take Biden’s Border Crisis SeriouslyInstead Of Working With Republicans To Seriously Address The Biden Administration’s Border Crisis, Democrats Are Dragging Their Feet And Echoing Far-Left Activist Groups Who Want No Border Enforcement At All, Threatening To Tank Bipartisan Border Talks Border security isn’t extraneous to national security – it’s essential. It’s time for Democrats to get serious. pic.twitter.com/X8Nq9eyUpp— Senate Republican Communications Center (@SRCC) December 5, 2023 SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “Senate Republicans know that national security begins with border security. And we’ve made it crystal clear that in order to pass the Senate, any measure we take up in the coming days must include serious policy changes designed to get the Biden Administration’s border crisis under control. Apparently, some of our colleagues aren’t ready to take that reality seriously. Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and their fellow Republican negotiators are still at the table, working diligently on solutions. But from the White House to the Capitol, Washington Democrats are wasting time with bizarre public scoldings.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 12/04/2023)LEADER McCONNELL: “Senate Republicans’ focus on securing the border didn’t just begin this fall. We’ve watched for three years as the border descended into chaos on President Biden’s watch. And for three years, we’ve urged his Administration to fulfill even its most basic responsibility to enforce our immigration laws. Anyone who suggests that Senate Republicans are injecting the issue of border security into this discussion at the last minute either isn’t serious or isn’t paying attention. Continuing to pretend that upholding American sovereignty is any less urgent than helping our allies and partners defend theirs is reckless. Borders in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are every bit as inviolable as those in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. And the sooner our Democratic colleagues realize it, the sooner we can deliver on urgent national security priorities.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 12/05/2023)LEADER McCONNELL: “Let’s be absolutely clear what we’re dealing with here. Let’s establish exactly what it is that the Democratic Leader has called ‘extraneous’ to America’s national security: On President Biden’s watch, CBP has recorded 6.5 million encounters at the southern border and 1.7 million known gotaways. And last fiscal year’s all-time record apprehensions at the southern border included 169 individuals on the terrorist watch list – a massive increase. The Biden Administration tried to convince the American people that they were serious about this historic crisis by having asylum seekers download a smartphone app. Instead, week after week, all we see are numbers that somehow keep getting worse…. Washington Democrats appear to be hell-bent on exhausting every half-baked idea before they get serious about actually fixing our broken enforcement system and securing our southern border. That’s the job the American people expect them to do. That’s the foundation of America’s national security. And time is running out.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 12/04/2023)SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): “This is exceptionally important. When the administration actually put out their national security package, they asked for funding for Israel, for Ukraine, for Taiwan and for the border. And then literally two days later, after they put that proposal out in their request, they also put out a piece saying that the border funding element would be, quote unquote -- this was their term -- a ‘tourniquet.’ What they really need is a change in policy, because that’s the biggest issue that they need.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 12/03/2023)SEN. LANKFORD: “Secretary Mayorkas has come forward and said ‘We need a reform in the asylum system’ -- that’s his words – ‘from top to bottom.’ We need to change how we handle recalcitrant countries like China and Nicaragua that will not take their individuals back. We need to change the way that we’re doing this.’ And he’s made the statement over and over again, ‘If you delay consequences for individuals that come across the border, it is no consequence.’ So again, listen to Secretary Mayorkas and the statements that he’s made, and they’ve made it very clear they’re looking for changes in policies so we can actually secure the border. That means we’ve got to actually bring a proposal forward that will actually make that different, that could actually reform how we handle asylum, in his words, from top to bottom, that we can actually handle how we’re actually handling the process of all those individuals, and that we’re not just mass-releasing thousands of people.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 12/03/2023)SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): “We’re having 9,000 people a day come for the last week. There’s no end to this wave of illegal immigration. You have to change your asylum laws and your parole laws to stop the flow. … Reform asylum. Reform parole. It’s possible to do. Democrats don’t want to do it. All Republicans want to do it.” (CNN’s “State Of The Union,” 12/03/2023)SEN. GRAHAM: “You’re not gonna pick up 10 or 12 Republicans for some half [baked] deal on the border.” (CNN’s Manu Raju, @mkraju, Twitter, 12/05/2023)SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): “My state is on the front line of the Biden border crisis, and it is getting worse by the day…” (“Republicans’ Border Policy Push Is Getting Support From An Unexpected Corner,” Politico, 11/30/2023)SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): “Is an open border more important to Dems than Ukraine and Israel?” (Sen. Mitt Romey, @MittRomney, Twitter, 12/05/2023)Taking Their Cues From Far-Left Activists, Democrats Keep Resisting Basic Reforms To Address The Unprecedented Numbers Of Immigrants Illegally Entering The United States“Progress on border talks has screeched to a halt as Democratic negotiators have come under intense pressure from progressives and immigration activists …” (“Progressives Heap Pressure On Democrats As Border Talks Screech To Halt,” The Hill, 12/03/2023)“The lead Democrat in the Senate border negotiations warned Monday that those discussions have fallen apart…” (Politico, 12/04/2023)SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “The Senate supplemental package remains on hold because our Republican colleagues have insisted that they need an immigration proposal to pass. While immigration is important, it's a separate issue from foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian aid to Gaza and the Indo-Pacific…. It's extraneous to this debate! Some of our Republican leaders say, well, that's what the public wants. Yes, the public wants border, but it's unrelated to Ukraine.” (Sen. Schumer, Floor Remarks, 12/05/2023)SCHUMER: “[I]t’s the Republicans holding this up by their insistence on an extraneous and partisan issue that there is always difficulty in coming to an agreement on.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 11/28/2023)Democrat Senators Keep Complaining About Any Serious Policy Changes To Address The Border Crisis, Attacking Them As ‘Nasty Policies’ Or Claiming They Would ‘Essentially Close The Border,’ Despite The Border Being Essentially Wide Open At The MomentSCHUMER: “… [T]he price is forcing Congress to accept radical immigration policies … nasty policies, like indefinite detention for asylum seekers and sweeping powers to shut down our entire immigration system.” (Sen. Schumer, Floor Remarks, 12/05/2023)SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): “[T]here’s no path based upon the place where things were at the end of last week…. Ultimately, there’s just not Democratic votes for closing the border indiscriminately.” (Politico, 12/04/2023)“Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview that in exchange for signing off on Ukraine aid, Republicans are insisting on policies that would ‘essentially close the border…’” (Politico, 12/04/2023)“Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) … said the level of concern has intensified over the possibility of Democrats giving away too much ... ‘Everyone’s speaking up, absolutely. You can hear it directly from the advocates,’ Luján said.” (“Progressives Heap Pressure On Democrats As Border Talks Screech To Halt,” The Hill, 12/03/2023)“Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) last week led a group of 10 Senate Democrats who aired grievances over the direction of negotiations, saying they are ‘concerned about reports of harmful changes to our asylum system’ and pointing to the lack of action for Dreamers.” (“Progressives Heap Pressure On Democrats As Border Talks Screech To Halt,” The Hill, 12/03/2023)“‘Using a one-time spending package to enact these unrelated permanent policy changes sets a dangerous precedent and risks assistance to our international partners,’ warned the 10 senators, a group that included Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat.” (“Progressives Heap Pressure On Democrats As Border Talks Screech To Halt,” The Hill, 12/03/2023)“The warning is aimed at a gang of six senators — three Republicans, three Democrats — who are trying to unlock President Joe Biden’s $106 billion supplemental funding request for aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.” (“Inside The Left’s Border Backlash,” Politico, 11/29/2023)Far-Left Pressure Groups Are Telling Democrats, ‘No Democrat Should Accept These Ransom Demands’“Negotiators returned from the Thanksgiving break on an optimistic note, indicating that they had made progress on changes to asylum and that the ball was moving in the right direction. However, talks have become increasingly stagnant, especially as the drumbeat of concern from the left about the direction of talks has gotten louder, and pressure increases to unlock a supplemental deal that can reach President Biden’s desk.” (“Progressives Heap Pressure On Democrats As Border Talks Screech To Halt,” The Hill, 12/03/2023)IMMIGRATION HUB’S KERRI TALBOT: “No Democrat should accept these ransom demands that would harm immigrants.” (“Inside The Left’s Border Backlash,” Politico, 11/29/2023)“The left has other gripes about the process: (1) that Biden is so hungry for an immigration deal that he is willing to give away too much, and (2) that the Senate negotiators are not close to the activists.” (“Inside The Left’s Border Backlash,” Politico, 11/29/2023)Meanwhile, Biden’s Border Crisis Keeps Getting Worse, Affecting The Entire Country“The Border Patrol made a little more than two million arrests of people illegally entering the U.S. during the fiscal year that ended in September, the second-highest number on record, behind only fiscal 2022.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“A growing number come from as far away as India and Africa. Social-media posts attract many people, and sophisticated smuggling networks make their trips easier than ever.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“This week, because of an influx of migrants, CBP was forced to shut down and limit traffic at border crossings in Texas and Arizona as part of larger personnel adjustments along the southwest border.” (ABC News, 12/01/2023)As Winter Begins, Democrat-Run Cities And States Across The Country ‘Have Reached A Breaking Point’ With The Number Illegal Aliens In Their Jurisdictions“Many American cities have reached a breaking point this fall over the number of migrants they can shelter and support.” (“Cities Are Reaching Their Capacity To Shelter Migrants,” Axios, 11/22/2023)“The deepening crisis has forced cities and states — even those known as sanctuaries — to make difficult choices about resource allocation as they continue pushing for billions in federal funding.” (“Cities Are Reaching Their Capacity To Shelter Migrants,” Axios, 11/22/2023)“Northern cities and states that have been overwhelmed by a surge in migrants are now out of room to house them just as the weather turns cold — a potentially life-threatening situation that’s inflaming local political tensions as the Biden administration largely leaves these Democratic strongholds to fend for themselves.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“Officials in New York City, which now houses more than 65,600 migrants, acknowledge that it’s out of space and in October issued 60-day notices to families with children to find new accommodations. Adults without kids have only 30 days to find housing outside the city shelter system — unwelcomed pressure to find their own housing as winter settles in.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“Chicago’s looming frigid winter is pushing lawmakers to get migrants indoors — but the effort has exposed a divide between city officials and Black and brown residents, who have resisted the city’s attempt to build heated base camps for migrants in their neighborhoods.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“Parts of Chicago’s South Side, known for its large Black community, are particularly uneasy about the attention to caring for migrants. ‘Residents are seeing that after all this time of promising something for us, nothing has come of it. Now you have folks who have just come to this country, and they’re being serviced,’ said South Side Alderperson Ronnie Mosley.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“Chicago is also imposing a 60-day limit for shelter stays, mirroring New York, and working to construct two camps for the winter that can house migrants currently sleeping on floors or in tents.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“More than 24,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, with about 2,200 of those new arrivals huddled on the floors of police stations and at O’Hare International Airport waiting to get into a shelter.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“In Massachusetts, migrant families could also face nights in the streets. The state is supposed to guarantee many homeless families and pregnant women are sheltered under its ‘right-to-shelter’ law.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“But Gov. Maura Healey instituted a 7,500-family — or roughly 24,000-person — capacity limit on the state’s emergency shelter system because the first-term Democrat said the state is out of space, money and providers to safely house anyone else.” (“Democratic Cities Brace For A Nightmare Winter Housing Migrants,” Politico, 11/24/2023)“The Denver migrant crisis has ramped up yet again, as the city now moves to change its length of stay policy at its sanction shelters an alleviate resource constraints. The city has been tracking the number of migrants coming to the Denver metro area since December. On Sept. 2, the city was helping 980 people, but now that number has more than doubled to nearly 2,700. Nine buses arrived in the area on Oct. 1, and the city is now averaging 300 new arrivals each day.” (“City Of Denver Changes Length Of Stay Policy For Shelters Amid Migrant Surge,” CBS News, 10/03/2023)“‘When it’s not nine buses a day, it’s four buses a day, it’s five buses a day. The pace is pretty unrelenting,’ said Jon Ewing, a spokesman for Denver Human Services.” (“City Of Denver Changes Length Of Stay Policy For Shelters Amid Migrant Surge,” CBS News, 10/03/2023)“With this latest spike in migrant arrivals, the city is now limiting the amount of time in which certain migrants can seek temporary shelter. Beginning Wednesday, any new adult migrant arriving in Denver will only be given shelter for 14 days, instead of 21. Migrant families with children, however, will have 37 days. This is seven more than previously allotted. This does not impact existing migrants who are already getting shelter services.” (“City Of Denver Changes Length Of Stay Policy For Shelters Amid Migrant Surge,” CBS News, 10/03/2023)Border Cities And States Continue To Be Overwhelmed, As They Have Been For Years“Like most border cities, El Paso has long tried to have as little involvement as possible in caring for the migrants who come and go every day. Federal authorities arrested and processed people who entered the U.S. illegally, while local nonprofits have helped those who needed assistance before traveling to their final destination elsewhere in the country. Now local officials say they have been forced to change course.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)The number of migrants being released on El Paso’s streets has been at or near record levels for most of the past year, and more are poor parents and children with few resources. Existing shelters don’t have enough capacity, and migrants have slept on the streets around a downtown church and at the airport.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“El Paso officials have reluctantly concluded that the situation, which would have previously seemed extreme, is their new normal.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“‘I never thought it would get to this, to what we’re doing,’ said Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“During the federal fiscal year that ended in September, federal border agents made about 427,000 arrests around El Paso, a nearly 40% increase from the prior fiscal year. It was a record high since at least 1960, according to government data.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“Numerous border communities, including San Diego, have recently said the number of migrants being released on their streets every day has reached crisis levels and are beseeching the Biden administration for assistance.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)“But those surges are occurring more frequently than before and numbers aren’t falling as significantly between them.” (“As Migrants Keep Coming, El Paso Spends Millions to Keep Them Off the Streets,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/11/2023)The Utter Inability Of This Administration To Control Our Southern Border Allows Ever More Deadly Fentanyl To Be Smuggled In To The Country“As tens of thousands of Americans continue to die each year from synthetic opioids, namely fentanyl, federal officials say the illicit narcotics trade remains a critical problem at the intersection of public health, crime and border politics.” (ABC News, 12/01/2023)“Fentanyl overdoses have become a sweeping problem in the country…” (ABC News, 12/01/2023)“Trafficking of fentanyl appears to largely occur at the southwest border, where 90% of the drug seized by CBP is found.” (ABC News, 12/01/2023)“Over the past year, the agency seized 850% more fentanyl compared to 2019 and seized nearly twice as much fentanyl in fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year, according to data from the agency.” (ABC News, 12/01/2023)###SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTERRelated Issues: Immigration, Senate Democrats, National Security, Border SecurityPrintEmailTweetPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER McCONNELLFacebookTwitterInstagram
