President Joe Biden claimed in a recent speech after the death of the bipartisan border deal that "the only reason the border is not secure is because of former President Donald Trump." Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) blasted the remark in a recent appearance on Fox News, questioning how he could say that with a straight face and reminding viewers that Biden "has made a knowing and willful decision to [not secure the border]."
"I do not know how he can even say that to the American people with a straight face because all of us see what is happening at the border," said Rep. Lee, adding that she personally witnessed migrants crossing as part of Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) Congressional delegation visiting Eagle Pass, Texas, in January.
Moreover, she echoed Speaker Johnson and other Republicans who have said President Biden can secure the border via executive action, yet "he has made a knowing and willful decision to do the opposite."
"Secretary [of Homeland Security Alejandro] Mayorkas has done the same thing," Rep. Lee continued, "He knows his policies are unlawful. He has been told by courts that his parole policies and his alternative to detention policies are unlawful and should stop, and yet he continues. And so they have willfully brought these millions of people into our country, and for him to try to shift the blame to Republicans is absurd."
Furthermore, Lee's comments came on the heels of a recent report showing that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) encountered over 1 million migrants since October, when Fiscal Year 2024 began.
Lee called the numbers "staggering" yet also said, "What we see here is a continuation of the Biden Administration policies that have been in place really throughout his administration."
In mid-January, Lee held a hearing, titled "Voices of the Victims" about the border crisis. The Florida Congresswoman condemned Mayorkas and House Democrats in a fiery speech, saying, "We do not need more laws. We need a president of the United States and a Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who enforce the laws of this country. But what do we have instead? An administration that has deliberately subverted the duly enacted laws of the United States of America, that have deliberately defied the orders of courts in the United States of America who have ordered and directed that they desist these unlawful policies."
