The border is on fire. 1.6 million migrants were apprehended in 2021. This year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection predicts that number could climb as high as 2.3 million.
That’s a record —and not the good kind.
The Biden Administration poured fuel on this dumpster fire when they announced the end of Title 42, a policy used by both Biden and Trump to expedite the deportation of illegal immigrants. On May 23rd, that’s over —and the Department of Homeland Security is in trouble.
According to internal memos reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, DHS is woefully unprepared for the incoming migrant surge —and it may result in serious national security concerns. To combat staff shortages, they are lowering security clearances for key tasks.
That doesn’t sound too dangerous until you realize that the people who take the tickets at the theme park aren’t necessarily qualified to operate the rides. Oh, and in this example, the theme park is already engulfed in flames. Instead of raising standards, DHS is lowering the bar.
“The memos show leadership within the agency discussing the need to allow members of its volunteer force—staffers who sign up to assist with border issues outside their normal roles—and outside contractors access the federal government’s internal immigration data entry system,” Free Beacon reports. “That system, known as E3, compiles all information, including biometric data, on migrants detained by Customs and Border Protection agents.”
“Outside contractors” should be an immediate security red flag.
“E3 is a law enforcement system, meaning that civilians rarely get access without proper training and background clearance. Because the information in E3 is sensitive a comprehensive background investigation is required to work on the system,” the Free Beacon reports.
“It’s quite astonishing when the administration’s disregard for border security and obsession with forcing mass migration through lack of enforcement is now being coupled with an ad hoc surrender of law enforcement jurisdiction to laypeople and contractors,” one DHS official said.
“This is a step backwards,” Mark Morgan, a former Customs and Border Protection commissioner, told the Free Beacon. “The reality is that some people in government don’t do the right thing. My guess is [the Biden administration] is doing this to bring in a whole bunch of non-DHS volunteers who need access.”
I can’t think of one step forward this administration has taken on immigration.