2024 Senate Resolution 91

Whereas, The President of the United States has left Americans and the nation extremely vulnerable to the torrent of illegal immigrants pouring across the southern border. Instead of upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the Biden Administration has attacked and sued the state of Texas for stepping up to protect American citizens from the illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country; and

Whereas, The United States is experiencing high levels of illegal immigration, and the rate at which migrants are attempting to unlawfully enter the country is accelerating. The total number of encounters between migrants and U.S. Customs and Border Protection increased from almost 2.3 million in 2021, to over 3 million in 2022, and 3.3 million in 2023. December 2023 was the worst month during this period, with 371,036 encounters. Extrapolating from this data, there may be as many as 11.5 million total encounters during President Biden’s first term; and

Whereas, These figures do not even include “gotaways,” unauthorized entrants who Border Patrol has ceased pursuing. There were at least 1.4 million known gotaways reported from January 2021 to April 2023, and it is estimated that there may be as many as 2.2 million gotaways across President Biden’s term in office; and

Whereas, Many of the migrants encountered at the border are released into the interior of the United States. The United States Secretary of Homeland Security publicly stated that he would not be surprised to hear that more than 70 percent of migrants crossing the border are released, and he privately admitted to Border Patrol agents that more than 85 percent of those encountered at the southern border are being released; and

Whereas, Some individuals who seek to unlawfully enter the United States are dangerous, both to U.S. citizens and to immigrants. Over the last few years, cartels have become increasingly involved in illegal immigration, such that they now make an estimated 13 billion dollars per year from human smuggling. In fiscal year 2023, there were 169 encounters with individuals on the terrorist watchlist on the southern border between ports of entry, and between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 1,697 known gang members; and

Whereas, In case of invasion, states have a constitutional right to take action to defend their sovereignty. The United States is charged with a constitutional duty to protect the states from invasion under Article IV of the United States Constitution. However, when the federal government has abdicated its responsibility, the states are left to fight for themselves. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution prohibits states from engaging in war “unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.” The Governor of Texas has thus taken steps to defend its citizenry from the threats posed by border insecurity, authorizing enhanced border security measures; and

Whereas, It is not merely states located along the southwest border that should care about illegal immigration. According to a report published by the Federation for American Immigration Reform in 2023, an estimated 185,000 illegal aliens and their 63,000 U.S.-born children cost Michigan taxpayers 1.12 billion dollars annually. The governors of twenty-five other states have signed a joint statement in support of the Texas Governor’s actions on the border, in recognition of the crisis our nation now faces; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That we support the actions of the Governor of Texas in furtherance of his constitutional right and responsibility to protect the citizens of his state and secure the border; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.