Hoeven Calls on DHS Secretary to Secure Southern Border Ahead of Title 42 Expiring

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven joined Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to continue construction of the border wall at the nation’s southern border. The senators requested information on the status of the border wall construction projects, and the anticipated number of illegal immigrants expected to seek entry to the United States following the expiration of Title 42 authorities. The senators criticized the administration’s failure to secure the border despite receiving congressionally-appropriated funds to continue construction on the wall. 

“The Administration has failed to acknowledge the crisis at our border, and is recognizing in the eleventh hour that the upcoming removal of Title 42 authorities, and the subsequent surge in border crossings that is predicted, will have disastrous effects on the security of our nation. There is no clearer evidence of this than the recently announced decision to send 1,500 active duty troops to assist border officials who are tasked with defending nearly 2,000 miles of border territory. 

“Additionally, the administration’s decision to halt construction of the southern border wall has contributed significantly to the acute humanitarian crisis brought about by illegal immigration and ahead of this week’s Title 42 expiration, we urgently request more information on the status of the border wall in anticipation of future congressional action,” the senators continued.

“If the administration had decided to spend congressionally-appropriated funds to finish the wall, perhaps your department would not need troops to assist. Perhaps the crisis would be more manageable. Terrorists, traffickers, and other bad actors know about our country’s failure to secure the border and they continuously exploit those weaknesses. There is a glaringly simple solution right in front you: we must finish the border wall,” the senators wrote.

In addition to Hoeven and Romney, the letter is signed by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

-###-