OHIO (WLIO) - Ohio's Washington lawmakers are concerned about the growing crisis at the southern border, which could get even worse by midweek.
Cities along the U.S.-Mexico border are setting in motion humanitarian efforts including emergency shelter, food, and transportation services ahead of an expected dramatic increase in the number of asylum-seekers. That's as pandemic-era immigration restrictions are set to expire this week. Title 42, a public health rule in place since March 2020, has been used to deter more than 2.5 million migrants and will expire Wednesday. Congressman Bob Latta is concerned with what it is going to do to a border that is already strained.
"When you think about the 10's of thousands of people that are waiting for Title 42 to expire and they are going to stream across the border and the President and the Vice President refuse to even go there," says Congressman Latta. "And so, you have these, couple of million people, in the last year come in illegally and we have a crisis."
U.S. Senator Rob Portman has introduced legislation to support efforts of the border patrol, which would mean more pay and created a reserve patrol to increase the numbers. He also believes that the wall needs to be finished on the border and that a policy change is needed on how immigrants can get into the country.
"Because right now when people come to the border, they pretty much know that they can come in the Untied States for an indefinite period of time and that has to change," says Portman. "If people truly qualify for to be able to come in as asylees, they should be dealt with at the border. But others should be told, 'I'm sorry you have to wait in line like everybody else.' Legal and proper immigration is a good thing for our country."
Portman says he is also worried that more fentanyl will be coming over the border. Last year, the U.S. set a record for overdose deaths because of the drug, and he is concerned that the levels could reach even higher if more migrants come across the border.
