Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor today regarding the ongoing situation at the southern border and criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's recent actions, which he characterized as attempts to shift blame onto Republicans for what he described as a crisis created by President Biden.

Thune cited recent data showing over 1.5 million migrant encounters at the southern border in fiscal year 2024, with total encounters under President Biden approaching 10 million. "That’s substantially more than the population of New York City," Thune stated, emphasizing the scale of the issue.

The senator accused Democrats of using political maneuvers to create an impression that they are addressing illegal immigration without enacting effective legislation. "If the Democrat leader were serious about addressing the crisis at our southern border, he would be bringing up legislation that actually stood a chance of making it out of both houses of Congress and to the president’s desk," Thune said.

He also criticized specific Democratic opposition to amendments proposed by Republican senators aimed at enhancing border security measures. Thune mentioned several proposals that Democrats have opposed, including allowing state and local law enforcement to detain criminal illegal aliens for ICE deportation and prohibiting funding from being used to release special-interest aliens during legal proceedings.

Thune further argued that President Biden’s recent efforts to expedite deportations are insufficient and represent a reversal of his earlier policies. "The only reason the president had to – finally – allow for the immediate deportation of criminals and terrorists is because his administration had created a situation that allowed these individuals to stay in the country," Thune asserted.

Concluding his remarks, Thune expressed skepticism about Democratic efforts to address illegal immigration before upcoming elections. "We have five more months until Election Day," he noted, questioning whether voters would believe in Democrats' commitment given their track record on border security issues.