Sen. James Lankford (R-OK ) claimed to have witnessed a transformed border in the San Diego area during a visit over the weekend in contrast to what he had seen under the Biden administration.
Since the Biden management, when the United States had the highest number of immigrants detained on suspicion of entering the country illegally than any other management, Lankford described to the Washington Examiner as a “remarkable” change in the confidence of federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the world’s edges.
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” It’s really, really amazing to see the confidence and attitude of federal law enforcement,” Lankford said in a phone call on Monday evening. The difference between talking about what they’re doing with the people at [Customs and Border Protection ] and the people at Border Patrol was dramatic.
” I really can’t begin to explain how much of a better position they are in — the confidence, how different it really is,” said Lankford, a part of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. They have a much better nature, they say.
Morale had declined as a result of the national police’s removal from the international border between 2021 and 2024 to move and supervise incarcerated immigrants.
Lankford cited three more modifications that he noticed while traveling alone to Southern California.
1.’ Special interest mysterious arrests are over, too
The “greatest amount” of people deemed wary due to their country of origin or terrorism organizations were located in the San Diego area of the 2, 000-mile U.S. Mexico border.
Aaron Heitke, the previous head of the San Diego Border Patrol, claimed in a statement in September 2024 that his officials were interrogating people who had previously entered the country illegally.
San Diego officials apprehended 10 to 15 exclusive attention creatures annually during the first Trump presidency. Heitke testified that that number increased to more than 100 in 2022 and to more than 100 in 2023.
Since then, improper expat prosecutions have decreased from more than 33 000 in March 2024 to less than 1,200 in March this year. Hundreds of thousands of people crossing each month have since been disbanded, according to Lankford.
Meeting with Border Patrol is the first stop in San Diego. More than anywhere else in the United States, they have received 45, 000 complaints from 147 nations. Thank you for being our second line of defense, @CBP. photograph. twitter.com/adxhN07GA5— Sen. James Lankford ( @SenatorLankford ) May 4, 2025
2. A major goal is drug trafficking.
Border Patrol agents who work between the ports of entry have switched their attention from thwarting drug entry into the country because they are not concerned with the flow of illegal immigrants.
According to Lankford,” They’re going after medicines that are moving across the ports of entry.” They “have set up roadblocks once more that were lowered.” Simply put, there was a significant difference. Because of how quickly the number of people crossing the border has decreased, their main concern is actually interdicting medication. They are able to find the time to consider and pursue the leads and go looking for the narcotics after they’ve discovered it.
3. increase in trafficking ocean-wide
Given that brokers on land are on work and ready to listen to attempted crossings, Border Patrol agents told Lankford that they have noticed an increase in coastal human trafficking.
They’re getting more trafficking efforts coming in through the sea, individuals trying to swim around the barrier, which they have that well-placed,” Lankford said. They” really turn people round right away,” he says. People are jumping on flight skis and then taking them up as quickly as they can to get inside the challenge.
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Other people board small ships that travel north along the coast and make an effort to pick up newcomers miles north of the border. He claimed that the number of members of the Coast Guard has grown. They are in charge of keeping the peninsula safe offshore.
It’s even life-saving, Lankford said. These ships are not of the highest quality, they’ve had several days. They have had instances where they flipped over and dumped everyone into the ocean without any life jackets, and it’s very risky how they operate them.
. @USCG was kind enough to take me on a plane ride to demonstrate all the strategies they use to prevent illegal immigrants from entering our country via water. They are excellent at coordinating with border police and DoD. I appreciate your assistance! photograph. twitter.com/WRF7XYvpoh
Sen. James Lankford ( @SenatorLankford )
