It’s a pretty impressive feat as president when you start a humanitarian crisis in your first two months in office. It’s even more impressive when many people don’t seem to notice it, or at least how serious it is.
That much, at least, I’ll give to President Joe Biden. It’s impressive what he’s done. He promised to reverse Donald Trump’s immigration policies starting on “Day 1” but hadn’t actually put together a plan to handle the influx of migration this would cause. This was kind of important, since the moment Biden’s victory was declared by the media, it was sure to cause a surge in migration.
The plan consisted of Biden administration members begging migrants not to come and Biden himself saying it would take some time to dismantle what Trump had done.
This had roughly the same effect as Ed Sullivan would have had if, just before he began the episodes featuring the Beatles, he had told the audience to please refrain from screaming.
So now, according to a Border Patrol chief patrol agent in one of the busiest sectors on the southern border, his area has seen 24,000 people taken into custody in the past two weeks.
Brian Hastings gave that number after a tweet last Friday from Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Joel Martinez regarding yet another migrant group captured trying to illegally enter the country.
This morning, a group of 159 illegal aliens were encountered along the river banks in La Grulla, Texas.
This group adds to the more than 2,000 individuals apprehended throughout the RGV on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/7hF53R5O6O
— Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Joel Martinez (@USBPDepChiefRGV) March 13, 2021
An hour later, Hastings pointed out these 159 illegal aliens added to a dumbfounding total of apprehensions for the Rio Grande Sector.
“This group adds to the nearly 24,000 individuals apprehended throughout the [Rio Grande Valley] in the last two weeks,” he wrote.
This group adds to the nearly 24,000 individuals apprehended throughout the RGV in the last two weeks.
For more info on activity in the RGV, click the link: https://t.co/s1uz7Tv6l1 https://t.co/lh2Yp1ATIM
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 13, 2021
According to Customs and Border Patrol statistics, “encounters” with unaccompanied minors were up 114 percent for the Rio Grande Sector in February 2021 vs. February 2020.
Family unit encounters were up 104 percent, and single adult encounters were up 167 percent.
This is what a crisis looks like. (But don’t call it a crisis — Joe Biden certainly won’t.)
Saturday morning, Rio Grande City agents arrested 247 illegal aliens in two groups alone. This year, agents in the field have encountered 17 groups of over 100 people each, mostly composed of families and unaccompanied alien children. pic.twitter.com/tuFUuESg4u
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 16, 2021
No end in sight as large groups continue entering in the #RGV.
In 48 hrs, agents arrested 369 illegal aliens mainly consisting of family members and UACs in 4 separate groups. This year, agents have encountered 19 groups of 100 or more people illegally entering the US. pic.twitter.com/GjPZ473XeK
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 18, 2021
The #RGV continues to see an increase in illegal crossings despite #COVID19 concerns.
Two large groups totaling 201 illegal aliens were arrested by agents in Rio Grande City and La Joya, TX.
The group consisted of 71 family members & 19 unaccompanied alien children. pic.twitter.com/MZQbDXfPhx— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 11, 2021
RGV agents continue to apprehend groups of more than 100 illegal aliens along the Rio Grande.
These groups composed primarily of families and unaccompanied alien children (UAC) add to the over 13,500 families and UACs previously apprehended in #RGV, from Oct to Feb. pic.twitter.com/3xvcrQkpsk
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) February 25, 2021
Last night, RGV agents arrested a group of 130 illegal aliens in Mission, TX. In less than a 24 hour period, this area alone saw more than 500 illegal entries. The majority of the illegal entries consisted of families and unaccompanied alien children.
▪️https://t.co/Fx0g778SOS pic.twitter.com/kiUR3ospQS
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) February 26, 2021
And this is what happens when bad actors with criminal histories try to take advantage of a crisis:
“RGV agents arrested 3 illegal aliens with serious criminal history,” Hastings tweeted Monday. Their crimes included convictions for murder and sexual offenses. As agents deal with the increase of families and unaccompanied alien children, criminal aliens will attempt to conceal themselves among them
RGV agents arrested 3 illegal aliens with serious criminal history. Their crimes included convictions for murder and sexual offenses. As agents deal with the increase of families and unaccompanied alien children, criminal aliens will attempt to conceal themselves among them. pic.twitter.com/AkjGzQ42MY
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 16, 2021
“Over the weekend 2 convicted sex offenders were apprehended for re-entering the United States illegally hours apart,” he said in another post.
Over the weekend 2 convicted sex offenders were apprehended for re-entering the United States illegally hours apart. These men, a Mexican & a Honduran national, had prior convictions for sex related crimes, the latter involved a child under 15 years old.https://t.co/hRHgcWFCZl pic.twitter.com/5yLqYNwNfG
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) February 23, 2021
And, let’s be clear: These aren’t people showing up at border crossings, asking for asylum.
Today, a group of 105 illegal aliens were apprehended in Havana, TX.
As agents were screening 43 illegal aliens, smugglers rafted an additional 62 across the Rio Grande. They consisted mainly of Central American families and 23 unaccompanied children.https://t.co/QPCQL3HEN1 pic.twitter.com/U0v0YN8yLx— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 5, 2021
RGV Riverine Unit rescue 13 from a sinking raft. This morning agents encountered a group of Central American families left stranded by smugglers in the middle of the Rio Grande. Their deflating raft took on water and was moments from sinking. 6 of those rescued were kids ages 1-9 pic.twitter.com/GxyhoknslL
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 4, 2021
These are the scenes from a humanitarian crisis, once where children under 10 are not only being brought on dangerous treks to the United States by human smugglers but also forced to cross the Rio Grande in rafts — and then abandoned by those smugglers while the craft sank.
Is this humane? Is this controlled? Is the Biden administration doing anything substantive to stop this?
Joe Biden owns every bit of this crisis, all in the midst of a pandemic.
And yet, even after the dereliction of his duty to form a plan to deal with this, he refuses to call it a crisis, much less do anything about it. I doubt anything will change his mind, much less these photos.
However, for many Americans, these pictures might drive home to them just what Biden hath wrought.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
