Missouri Attorney General and U.S. Army veteran Andrew Bailey said on Monday that Syria's borders in 2005 were more secure than the United States-Mexico border is now.
"As a platoon leader in the United States Army after 9/11, I helped secure the border between Iraq and Syria, and I'm here to tell you that border in 2005 was more secure and safer than the border between Mexico and the United States in 2024," Bailey said on Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria. "That's shameful."
The context:
Bailey and host Maria Bartiromo were speaking about a recent report from the New York Post regarding a Lebanese migrant who was caught attempting to cross the border in Texas. According to the outlet, sources with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that the migrant admitted to being a member of Hezbollah.
Newsweek has been unable to independently confirm this report. Newsweek reached out to CBP via email for comment.
What we know:
Over the past several months, Republicans have continued to criticize the Biden administration for its handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and the influx of illegal migrant crossings.
According to data from CBP, in January, there were 176,205 illegal migrant encounters at the nation's Southwest land borders. This number is a decline from December, which saw over 300,000 illegal migrant encounters. However, the January number is still higher than in previous years.
Views:
Republicans have called on President Joe Biden to use executive action to respond to the U.S.-Mexico border but the president previously said he's done all he can do about the situation.
"Just give me the power. Give me the border patrol. Give me the people. The judges. Give me the people who can stop this and make it work right," Biden said last month.
Biden has also urged Congress to pass a bipartisan border security bill that faced heavy criticism from House Republicans.
Biden recently visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, prompting questions by some on why he chose that specific area.
"Biden's last-minute, insincere attempt to chase President Trump to the border won't cut it — Americans know Biden is single-handedly responsible for the worst immigration crisis in history and the ensuing Biden Migrant Crime Crisis affecting every community in our Country," former President Donald Trump's campaign said in a statement ahead of Biden's visit last month.
What's next:
Immigration is likely to remain a leading topic during the 2024 election cycle, which will see Biden and likely Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, face off again in November. The two candidates have repeatedly hit at each other over different immigration policies.
Update 3/18/24, 7:53 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/18/24, 8:32 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
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