Glenn Grothman: “Amendment No. 20 seeks to address an often underdiscussed part of the ongoing border crisis: the surge in illegal…”

“Amendment No. 20 seeks to address an often underdiscussed part of the ongoing border crisis: the surge in illegal immigration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of migrants from these four countries attempting to cross our southwest border. In fiscal year 2020, Border Patrol agents apprehended about 17,500 illegal entrants from these nations. That was the final year before President Biden. This number surged more than tenfold in fiscal year 2021 to 181,000 and skyrocketed to over 600,000 in fiscal year 2022. From 17,000 to 600,000, these numbers are common in the increase during this administration. Understanding the factors behind this dramatic rise is crucial to understanding the challenges it poses. The Biden administration's approach to border security has played a significant role in this surge. Look no further than the introduction of the CHNV parole process targeting nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Initially created as a limited parole program for Venezuelans, this program expanded significantly in January of 2023. Now it offers parole for up to 30,000 nationals per month from these countries. Remember, we used to have 17,000 in a whole year. Now it is 30,000 per month. This policy has led to a system of all carrots and no sticks, incentivizing illegal entries without adequate deterrents.…”