With record numbers of people coming across the southern border, Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration for halting President Trump's border wall construction, sending a clear message the border is open.
"We have a tremendous flood of people coming towards our border now because that signals been put out," Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) told CBN News Wednesday.
Lankford took a trip to the southern border last week where he said he saw miles of the finished border wall left with incomplete gates.
"All the steel is there, so all it would take is a few days to be able to finish it, and President Biden stopped that," explained Lankford. "He also stopped the installation of the technology, cameras, lights, ground sensing technology, all of those things he stopped and said we don't want to install those things anymore. Literally, we've already paid for it. All the materials are there ready to go."
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Right now, thousands of unaccompanied children are making the dangerous journey across the southern border, with many carrying phone numbers for relatives in the U.S. they hope to contact once they get into the country.
"These are people literally crossing the border illegally as adults that are being released into the country or that are 17 years old that they're actually transitioning to another relative that's in the country also illegally, and saying show up for a court hearing two years from now, which obviously most of those folks don't show up for those hearings," Lankford said.
Many of the unaccompanied children are ending up in overcrowded detention centers. One facility in Donna, Texas, meant to hold 250 people is currently housing around 4,000. Many of the children are being held longer than the 72-hour legal limit and are sleeping on floors in overwhelmed facilities.
President Biden has tapped Vice President Kamala Harris with leading diplomatic efforts on immigration.
"While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we also, because we can chew gum and walk at the same time, must address the root causes that caused people to make the trek, as the President has described, to come here," Harris said Wednesday.
"We will collaborate with Mexico and other countries throughout the western hemisphere," continued Harris. "As part of this effort, we expect that we will have collaborative relationships to accomplish the goals the President has and that we share."
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