People are not the only thing coming across the border. Cartels — which profit from human smuggling — traffic enormous amounts of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics into the country. Between 2016 and 2020, fentanyl trafficking increased by 1,890% — and it only continues to grow. Communities across America feel the impact of drug trafficking. Overdose deaths reached a record high in 2021, with fentanyl overdoses becoming the number one cause of death among American adults aged 18-45. Mexico is the primary source of fentanyl in America. Powerful drug cartels manufacture the drug in Mexico before trafficking it across the southern border, often evading Border Patrol agents overwhelmed by the sheer number of asylum-seeking aliens who also cross the border.

The death and destruction wrought by the Biden administration’s elimination of immigration enforcement reverberate throughout the country, whether an overdose death in Maine or the drowning of Specialist Evans in Texas. Yet the Biden administration rejects any responsibility for the chaos at our border. When asked if the Biden administration felt responsible for Mr. Evans’ death, White House press secretary Jen Psaki deflected, saying that “the National Guard work for the states, so he is an employee of the Texas National Guard, and his efforts and his operation were directed by there [sic], not by the federal government.”