Collins, Colleagues Demand Answers on Changes to Border Security Policies

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) joined a group of her colleagues in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas seeking answers on recent changes to how the Department enforces border security and processes migrants at the southern border.

“In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded 1.7 million encounters with individuals attempting to cross the border illegally, the highest single year total ever recorded,” the Senators wrote. “Even more troubling is the fact that this year is on pace to far exceed the record-breaking numbers from last year.”

“The Biden administration’s decision to terminate the Title 42 public health order that provided border agents the authority to perform expedited removals is the latest example of troubling policy moves,” continued the Senators. “Last year, Title 42 was used more than 1 million times to quickly expel individuals who crossed the border illegally. Such a move will undoubtedly leave CBP and law enforcement along the border vulnerable to being overwhelmed in the face of sustained record levels of illegal crossings.”

In addition to Senator Collins, the letter was co-signed by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Boozman (AR), Rand Paul (R-KY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Risch (R-ID). 

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