Bill targets southern border illicit drug surge

U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) recently introduced legislation that addresses the uptick in illicit drug action at the southern border.

The Stop Fentanyl Border Crossings Act expands Title 42 authority to turn back migrants as a means of combating drug smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“President Biden refuses to address the flow of fentanyl across our southern border and into our communities,” Risch said. “This bill will protect Idaho from experiencing the dual impacts of the immigration crisis and drug use crisis, spurred by the Administration’s open border policies.”

During Fiscal Year 2021, over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized. More than 1 million migrants were expelled amid Title 42, which they said is slated to expire next month and presently solely allows the expulsion of migrants during the spread of communicable diseases.

“The soaring increase in drug overdose deaths in the last year is a public health crisis,” Crapo said. “Mexico is a major source of the illicit flow of fentanyl into the United States, and more must be done to stop this deadly substance from entering the country. This bill will help address the public health crisis facilitated by drug smuggling and enable our enforcement authorities on the border to keep a tighter grip on the record-breaking flow of illegal border crossings.”