South Dakota Senator John Thune discusses border crisis

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Senator Thune recently returned to South Dakota after visiting the Mexico border, and he says what is happening down there is nothing short of a crisis.

“The border crisis is spinning out of control. There are literally new records being set every day for the thousands of people that are coming across illegally,” Thune said.

An average of more than 5,000 immigrants are crossing the border daily, which is creating spacing issues in facilities that are not designed to support that many people. Which is creating even more problems during the pandemic.

“It’s not healthy. There’s a lot of COVID there and a lot of folks with COVID are being allowed to come into the country so it also creates a public health crisis,” Thune said.

The porous border, as Thune describes it, is allowing for an increase in criminal activity. Include more illegal drugs entering into the United State.

“You’ve got more fentanyl coming in, more heroin coming in, and a lot more meth coming into the country,” Thune said.

Thune attributes the border crisis to the change in administration.

“When president Biden took office he changed a bunch of immigration policies of the previous administration and that sent a signal, it was a green light and people are coming like crazy across the border,” Thune said.

Senator Thune says the best way you help with the border crisis is to apply pressure to your elected officials to address the problem.

Copyright 2021 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.