Ricketts on the Senate Floor: With Joe Biden, Americans Are Getting Open Borders Policies

February 13, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an early morning speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) slammed the Biden administration’s open borders policies. By reversing the successful policies of the Trump administration, Joe Biden created the national security and humanitarian catastrophe at our southern border.

“Since Joe Biden has been president, there have been nearly 6.6 million encounters at our southern border,” Ricketts said. “When he undid those [Trump] policies, he sent a message to people, not just south of our southern border, not just in Central America, not just in South America, but to the entire world: our borders are open… there are people in this city that want open borders. And with this president, they’re getting it. ”

“If you look at the September numbers, about 270,000 contacts along our southern border and only about 10% of those folks were deported…” Ricketts said. “In his first 100 days of office, President Biden issued 94 executive orders on immigration. He stopped the construction of the border wall. He halted deportations, suspended the Remain in Mexico provisions. He repealed Trump’s interior enforcement executive order that prioritized immigration enforcement… Joe Biden has abused the process of parole.”

Ricketts highlighted the work he did as Governor to fight human trafficking and combat illegal immigration. Specifically, he highlighted the joint policy framework he released in 2021 with 25 other Republican governors containing 10 border solutions Biden could enact immediately. He blamed the president for refusing to engage with the governors and for allowing a crisis to become a catastrophe.

“At the end of the day, the responsibility for this catastrophe lies squarely on the shoulders of our President, Joe Biden,” Ricketts continued. “He is responsible for every case of human trafficking, sex trafficking, child trafficking, drug trafficking that comes across our border. Every single one, because of his open border policies. He is responsible for these deaths. We didn’t even talk about the thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border who have died crossing the border. He’s responsible for those, too.”

“All these things could be addressed,” Ricketts closed. “This administration could do it. I call on this administration to stop these open border policies. Use the powers at your disposal to secure our border. That’s what the American people want. President Biden, secure our border. The American people demand it. You have the tools.“

BACKGROUND:

Ricketts has made combatting illegal immigration a top priority both as Governor and in the U.S. Senate. He introduced the Ensure Uniform Border Inspection Practices Act to require annual comprehensive reviews of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policies to improve enforcement practices. He’s spoken repeatedly on the Senate floor outlining his support for additional pieces of legislation that address the illegal immigration crisis at the border and need to enforce existing laws.