Sounding the alarm on our border problem

At a recent Senate hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers that Hamas' terror attack on Israel has given terrorists inspiration "the likes of which we haven't seen" since the rise of ISIS. He added that the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack here at home "to a whole new level." Amid the major threat we face, the federal government must use every tool available to keep Americans safe. And that includes increasing security and ending the chaos at our southern border, where more than 6 million people have been caught trying to cross since President Joe Biden took the oath of office.

Recently, I joined a group of House and Senate Republicans in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to raise our strong concerns over the major security issue at our border. Over the last year, 169 individuals on the terror watch list were caught trying to infiltrate our nation at the border. And earlier this year, a smuggler with ties to ISIS helped more than a dozen migrants from Uzbekistan and other countries sneak across our border. In addition, a recent Customs and Border Protection memo warned staff that terrorists involved in the war with Israel could soon attempt to enter the U.S. from Mexico.

But despite all the facts and the growing threats we face, the Biden administration refuses to abandon its open border agenda. While states like Texas have taken action to help address the crisis, like deploying the National Guard and putting up fencing, they don't have the resources or tools that the federal government has.

The bottom line is that it's the federal government's responsibility to keep our nation safe and protect our border. Yet time and again, Biden has only poured more fuel on the fire raging at our southern border. During Biden's first 100 days in office, he took a sledgehammer to President Donald Trump's effective immigration agenda, whether it was halting border wall construction, reinstating catch-and-release, ending the "Remain-in Mexico" program, and more.

With all the threats facing our nation, Biden needs to stop ignoring this crisis and take action -- including by making policy changes like bringing back President Donald Trump's effective immigration agenda. In addition, the Democrat-controlled Senate needs to do its part by passing and sending to the president's desk the Secure the Border Act, House Republicans' legislation that would increase the number of Border Patrol agents and provide bonus pay, force Biden to restart construction on President Donald Trump's border wall, end catch-and-release, and so much more. No matter what happens, House Republicans will never back down in the fight to keep our nation safe and end the chaos Washington Democrats created with their open-border agenda.

Jason Smith (R-MO) represents the eighth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.