Western South Dakota News

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) addressed the Senate floor on Wednesday, criticizing the Biden-Harris administration's handling of illegal immigration. Thune asserted that the administration's policies have led to unprecedented levels of illegal border crossings, which he claims have introduced terror threats, deadly drugs, and unaccompanied children into communities nationwide.

Thune provided specific figures in his remarks: "August border numbers came out on Monday, bringing the total number of encounters at our southern border thus far for fiscal year 2024 to more than 2 million. 2,033,260 to be precise." He noted that this is the third-highest fiscal year total ever recorded, with one month still remaining in the fiscal year.

According to Thune, each year under President Biden and Vice President Harris has seen record-breaking numbers of illegal immigration: "The highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2023. The second-highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2022. And the fourth-highest total ever recorded was in fiscal year 2021."

Thune attributed these figures to policy changes initiated by President Biden on his first day in office: "On the day he took office, President Biden began dismantling the border security policies of his predecessor. And illegal immigration began surging in response."

He further criticized Vice President Harris’s role as "border czar," stating: "I’d be hard-pressed to name anything she did to stop the influx." He argued that any actions taken were ineffective given the steady increase in border encounters.

Thune emphasized national security concerns linked to unchecked illegal immigration: "The kind of unchecked illegal immigration we’ve been seeing is an invitation to dangerous individuals to enter our country." He referenced comments from U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens and FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighting these security threats.

Additionally, Thune mentioned specific incidents involving suspected terrorists and smuggling networks as examples of these dangers: "The June arrest of eight Tajikistan nationals with suspected ties to ISIS who had illegally entered the country... are just two examples of the kind of threats we face."

He also highlighted how drug smuggling has impacted areas far from the southern border: "In 2022 Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead estimated that 90 percent of fentanyl and meth in our state comes from Mexican cartels."

Concluding his remarks, Thune stated: “Four record-breaking years of illegal immigration... The national security legacy of the Biden-Harris administration.”