95.3 MNC: Walberg, Michigan GOP lawmakers urge Homeland Secretary to address northern border crisis

Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) and fellow Michigan Republican lawmakers have called on newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to visit Michigan and discuss efforts to secure the northern border.

In a letter to Noem, the lawmakers congratulated her on her confirmation and raised concerns about border security, citing what they describe as a lack of action from the Biden administration.

“The past four years of inaction by the Biden-Harris administration to address the crisis at America’s borders has only exacerbated the issue and threatened the safety of every American, particularly those who live near our borders,” the letter states. “This ongoing crisis has impacted families across America, but we are encouraged to see President Trump’s administration take swift action to address it.”

The lawmakers pointed to alarming statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), noting that drug seizures along the northern border for the current fiscal year have already surpassed 3,500 pounds. If the trend continues, they warn, drug seizures in fiscal year 2025 could exceed those of the previous year.

Encounters at the northern border have also surged, they wrote, with CBP data showing an 81% increase in total encounters between fiscal years 2022 and 2024. More troubling, they said, is a 262% rise in encounters involving unaccompanied or single minors over the same period.

The Michigan delegation is urging Noem to see the situation firsthand and work with lawmakers on strategies to enhance security along the northern border.