(NewsNation) — The Congressional Hispanic Conference is calling on the Biden administration to label cartels terrorist groups and enact legislation to combat human and drug trafficking.
The group of Hispanic Republicans on Tuesday shared their ideas to help secure the nation’s southern border. Finishing the border wall, cracking down on cartels’ social media use and raising Border Patrol officers’ wages were among their suggestions.
“This crisis ends when President Biden signs a bill into law that strengthens border security and protects legal immigration,” said Tony Gonzales, co-chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference.
National Border Patrol Council Vice President Hector Garza also advocated for the hiring of 3,000 additional Border Patrol officers to help with an anticipated influx of crossings when Title 42 expires in May.
The public health policy Title 42 allowed officials to turn migrants away at the border to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the policy set to end May 11, political figures and law enforcement are bracing for an increase in border crossings, which Garza said Border Patrol agents aren’t prepared to handle.
“Why were illegal immigrants and drug smugglers able to enter our country without being apprehended?” he asked. “Very simple: Because Border Patrol agents were so overwhelmed.”
Garza called on the Biden administration to end catch-and-release practices at the border, build more infrastructure for officers to operate out of, and improve staffing of people including immigration judges for swifter processing.
Border crossings between southwest ports of entry are up 23% since February, which is typical as the seasons transition from winter to spring. Year-to-year numbers are down 23% compared to this time in 2022, according to the most recent Customs and Border Protection data.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a separate hearing Tuesday, however, that he also expects a “surge” of crossings in the wake of Title 42’s expiration.
Locals in border communities aren’t only concerned with the crossings themselves. They’ve also been outspoken about the use of human smugglers and dangerous police chases that ensue as a result.
Grieving mother Elisa Tambunga spoke tearfully about the death her mother and young daughter, who were struck by a truck and killed.
“On March 13 in Ozona, Crockett County, Texas, my 7-year-old daughter Emilia Brooke Tambunga — the brightest light — and my mother Maria (Socorro Alvarez-Tambunga) — a tender woman — were two minutes from home when they were killed by a smuggler, driving a 7,000-pound vehicle going over 105 miles an hour,” she said.
The girl and her grandmother were coming home from a playdate.
Conference members also pointed to fentanyl-related deaths as as top concerns impacting families.
The drug is now a leading cause of death for young adults in the U.S. The Mexican government has tried to go after labs and pill mills, but the drug continues to make its way to the U.S., where it’s oftentimes mixed with other drugs.
China and Mexico both say the root cause lies in the U.S. itself and the demand for drugs that already exists.
