Illegal aliens are now taking to the sea to sneak into the United States as a result of former President Joe Biden’s open border policy, and the situation is overloading the Coast Guard.
It’s not only a violation of U.S. sovereignty, but the overloaded rafts and homemade vessels also pose life-threatening danger to those who make the journey. Not near the so-called compassion Democrats claim their open border policy brings.
According to a Fox News report, maritime migrant landings have surged dramatically. From California to the Florida Keys, the Coast Guard is intercepting more migrants in increasingly dangerous conditions, including Haitian rafts and cartel-operated boats carrying dozens of illegal border crossers.
This is not just a border problem. It’s a national security threat, a public safety crisis, and a disgraceful misuse of our military-trained maritime forces. The U.S. Coast Guard, whose primary mission is to secure our shores and save lives, is now being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of lawlessness ushered in by the previous administration’s failure to enforce our immigration laws.
“We’re seeing 15- to 20-foot boats with 25 people jammed inside,” said Jonathan Roldan, a reporter embedded with a Coast Guard crew off the San Diego coast. “It’s completely unsafe.”
It’s also unsustainable.
In fiscal 2023, the Coast Guard intercepted nearly 12,000 illegal migrants — a 500% increase from just a few years ago. And that doesn’t account for the thousands who make it ashore undetected. In the Florida Keys, the sheriff says rural towns are being overwhelmed by the illegal landings, burdening local law enforcement and emergency services.
Why no outrage?
Biden created an atmosphere where deterrence is no longer a factor. His rollback of Trump-era enforcement — from “Remain in Mexico” to Title 42 to the halting of wall construction — has told the world that if you can make it here, you can stay.
The Trump administration should move quickly to give the Coast Guard a Cabinet-level representative as every other branch of service has. The House committee-passed Coast Guard Authorization Act to address the crisis is an important move.
But the Coast Guard is stretched thin, caught between humanitarian rescue and law enforcement, while smugglers exploit policy gaps and put lives at risk.
Illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border is getting its proper focus since Trump retook the presidency in January. His White House should make similar moves on our waters.
