In a little over one week, the small town of Del Rio, Texas saw more than 15,000 migrants surge their border. Thanks to the quick response from Texas, the migrant-made encampment has been cleared, but that does not mean the crisis is averted.

Border Patrol sectors across Texas continue to apprehend and rescue migrants attempting to cross into the United States as migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border are at a 21-year high.

Currently, the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring groups of about 1,500 in Panama, 3,000 in Peru and 20,000 in Colombia, all are said to be staging in preparation for travel to the U.S.

When asked why we can’t continue building the southern border wall to mitigate the issue, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas stated “we do not agree with the building of the wall.”

Yet the evidence—and Mayorkas’ own department—say otherwise.

The Department of Homeland Security said in 2020 that “constructing border barriers have proved to be a critical component in gaining operational control of the border.” Where barriers have been deployed, illegal drug, border crossings, and human smuggling activities have decreased.

As a senator, President Joe Biden staunchly asserted the need for border fencing and voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006. He also spoke out against American employers who hire illegal immigrants, going so far as to suggesting they be sent to jail. Yet the Democrat-proposed $30 billion Civilian Climate Corps will allow eligibility for people regardless of immigration status.

Believe it or not, the same president that is today condemning Border Patrol agents for doing their jobs used to call for increased border security and expanding resources for Border Patrol.

One example of the effectiveness of a border barrier is Yuma, Arizona. Prior to the Secure Fence Act, illegal immigrants overwhelmed Yuma, resulting in an average of 800 arrests a day while roughly eight trucks a day, likely carrying people and drugs, crossed into Arizona. After the building of a 20-foot-high fence, Yuma became one of the most secure areas along the border.

Contrary to the narrative, a border wall will not prohibit freedom of movement between Mexico and the U.S. Rather, it limits the amount of illegal activity through by restricting points of entry into the U.S. This allows Border Patrol agents to more effectively patrol vulnerable areas and quickly apprehend criminal trespassing.

What happens with the undocumented people once they’ve been processed, and why do we allow so many of them with obviously invalid asylum claims to enter our country? After days of providing little to no information, Secretary Mayorkas finally revealed that 10,000-12,000 of the 15,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the U.S.

Americans are supposed to find comfort in the fact that those released were given notices to report to their nearest Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, but unfortunately, an estimated 43% of immigrants fail to appear in court once they’ve been let go.

The evidence is clear—border security is a priority for Americans, no matter what their party affiliation is. Despite this administration’s insistence on a border wall being immoral, even it cannot deny the wall’s efficacy and necessity.

In truth, cartels in the Del Rio sector alone are profiting more than $24 million per week in human trafficking and the number of children traveling alone hit an all-time high in July. The current policies have border agents overwhelmed and over-worked, making more women and children susceptible to being trafficked or abandoned at the border.

Weak laws and open borders will continue to draw such migrants. That’s why Texas is stepping in.

During the second special session, the Texas Legislature allocated $1.8 billion to securing the Texas border, adding $750 million to the construction of up to 730 miles of border wall. This is in addition to $250 million that Governor Abbott approved for emergency wall funding.

Texas must and will continue to defend our borders and stand behind law enforcement working tirelessly to do just that.