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United Senate Republicans Push To Change Biden’s Disastrous Border Policies | Republican Leader
11.15.23
The Biden Administration’s Border Security Failures Are Drawing Record Numbers Of Illegal Aliens From All Over The World, Leaving American Law Enforcement Overwhelmed
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “It is impossible to ignore the crisis at our southern border that’s erupted on Washington Democrats’ watch: Back-to-back record-setting years that saw millions upon millions of illegal arrivals at the border. And historic quantities of fentanyl and other lethal drugs pouring across to decimate American communities. Let’s remember where this crisis came from. President Biden campaigned on open-borders policies. His message was so compelling that crowds literally showed up at the southern border with his campaign logo on their shirts. As one put it back then, the President had, quote, ‘promised us that everything was going to change.’” (Leader McConnell, Remarks, 11/15/2023)
- LEADER McCONNELL: “[T]his is the Administration that canceled commonsense policies like ‘Remain in Mexico,’ shelved DHS resources meant for border wall construction, and abandoned overstretched border enforcement personnel to contend with a tidal wave of mass migration. Today, cleaning up this Administration’s mess at the southern border is matter of urgent national security. And I’m grateful to the group of Senate Republicans including Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and Senator Cotton who have been working in good faith on substantive policy reforms to bring the crisis under control. The goal here is simple: Slow the flow; and stop the catch-and-release asylum system that’s overrunning border communities and blue cities, alike. This crisis isn’t crying out for boatloads of new taxpayer dollars. Just commonsense policy reform. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats do not appear ready to admit this reality. They’re apparently not ready to seriously address asylum abuse.” (Leader McConnell, Remarks, 11/15/2023)
Senate Republicans Are Committed To Fighting For Commonsense Border Security Reforms
SENATE REPUBLICAN WHIP JOHN THUNE (R-SD): “[T]he president’s recent supplemental funding request has not left me hopeful that the administration is suddenly going to become more effective. Potentially billions in reimbursement for blue states struggling to house illegal immigrants won’t do a single thing to solve the crisis we’re facing at the border. And while the president’s proposal does include some funding that would actually go toward security, funding alone is not enough. We need meaningful policy changes…” (Sen. Thune, Remarks, 11/01/2023)
SENATE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIR JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): “Joe Biden and the Democrats refuse to admit that we have an urgent crisis at the southern border. They refuse to admit that the crisis and the weakness is brought upon by the fact that they have ignored or reversed rules and activities that have worked in the past to secure the border.” (Sen. Barrasso, Press Conference, 11/14/2023)
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair: “Targeted funding must be accompanied by policy changes that ensure our borders are secure…” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member: “I reject the idea this is a global phenomenon problem. I think you’re misdiagnosing the problem. This is policy changes you all instituted that I told you wouldn’t work and we now need to fix that. Trend lines: 2020, 458,000 encounters. 2023, 2.5 million. We need to change that don’t we? That trend line.”
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: “We most certainly do.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): “Republicans in the Senate this past weekend released a very simple proposal to deal with what we all know are the problems. Closing the loopholes in the law that have been exploited. And yes it deals with asylum and yes it deals with withholding because those are the areas that are being exploited. … The question is, do Democrat senators see it. That’s really the issue now. Everyone else seems to see it and admit to it.” (Sen. Lankford, Remarks, 11/06/2023)
SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-WV): “We are trying, I think, to offer the administration, we being the Republicans here in the Senate, offering the administration substantive policy changes that will bring these numbers down.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): “When we talk about this, we don’t have to manage the border as it says in one of your requests here, we actually need to secure it.” (Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 11/08/2023)
Border Encounters With Illegal Aliens ‘Hit The Highest Ever Number For October’
“Migrant encounters at the southern border hit the highest ever number for October last month, with more than 240,000 people encountered…” (“Migrant Encounters At Southern Border Set New Record For October: Data,” Fox News, 11/14/2023)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: “[C]rossings remain unusually high…” (The Associated Press, 11/14/2023)
Illegal Aliens Now Run Towards Law Enforcement, ‘Knowing That They Will Likely Be Released In A Few Days To Await Court Dates That Could Be Years Away’
“For years, migrants who crossed illegally into the United States would often run away from law enforcement, but now once reaching the US most run to authorities, according to observers. They’re eager to be processed, knowing that they will likely be released in a few days to await court dates that could be years away…. Most of the migrants entering San Diego County appear familiar with the process, as though they’ve been prepared by others who’ve successfully arrived before them. They gather at various spots on the US side and await CBP officials … [B]uses first take them just a few miles to area detention centers to be processed over a few days. They’re then transported north to transit hubs in San Diego, where county officials say the vast majority travel to other cities.” (“They Live Near San Diego. Migrants Pass Through Their Back Yards Almost Nightly,” CNN, 11/13/2023)
The Draw Of Easy Illegal Entry Into The United States Has Resulted In Huge Numbers Of Migrants Overwhelming Countries From Panama All The Way Through Mexico
“The southwestern border of the U.S. has struggled to cope with increasing numbers of migrants from South America who move quickly through the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama before heading north. By September, 420,000 migrants, aided by Colombian smugglers, had passed through the gap in the year to date, Panamanian figures showed.” (“Caravan Of 3,000 Migrants Blocks Highway In Southern Mexico,” The Associated Press, 11/08/2023)
THE WASHINGTON POST: ‘U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico’ (The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
- “[Mexico] is struggling with a migration crisis of its own, as historic numbers of asylum seekers cross its southern border. As many as 6,000 migrants a day have lined up outside government offices in southern Mexico — some seeking refuge in this country, but many others headed for the United States. That’s up to 10 times as many as in the spring. Security forces have pulled more than 27,000 undocumented migrants off trains in the past month alone.” (“U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico,” The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
“Until recently, the migrants reaching the U.S. border were mostly Mexicans and Central Americans. Now there’s a global outpouring of economic and political refugees funneling through Mexico. The number of South American migrants reaching Mexico this year has surpassed the number of Central Americans for the first time since record-keeping began. Mexico went from logging fewer than 2,000 South Americans a year for most of the past decade to more than 176,000 in the first eight months of 2023. Many are traveling with families.” (“U.S.-Bound Migrants Are Overwhelming Mexico,” The Washington Post, 10/20/2023)
‘The Southern Border Has Just Become A Staging Ground For Migrants From All Parts Of The World To Come To The U.S. Most Quickly’
“‘The Southern border has just become a staging ground for migrants from all parts of the world to come to the U.S. most quickly,’ said Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer and the director of non-partisan research group Migration Policy Institute’s New York office.” (NBC News, 11/14/2023)
“Border Patrol agents struggle communicating with many of them, instead relying on hand signals or smartphone translation apps – assuming the cell signal is strong enough. Spanish and English are no longer sufficient, as local volunteers have documented people from more than 40 countries crossing in recent months, including China, Turkey and Uzbekistan.” (“They Live Near San Diego. Migrants Pass Through Their Back Yards Almost Nightly,” CNN, 11/13/2023)
Apprehensions Of Illegal Aliens From Asia And Africa TRIPLED During The Last Fiscal Year
“Hundreds of thousands of migrants from all over the world are making their way to the Southwest border, with U.S. and Mexican authorities reporting a surge in apprehensions of people from Asia and Africa as human smuggling networks widen their reach across the globe. Arrests at the Southwest border of migrants from China, India and other distant countries, including Mauritania and Senegal, tripled to 214,000 during the fiscal year that ended in September from 70,000 in the previous fiscal year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Fewer than 19,000 migrants from Asia and Africa were apprehended in the fiscal year ended September 2021.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
- “Travelers say they exchange information and share videos of U.S.-bound routes on Tik Tok and Facebook, while smugglers offer lodging and travel agencies advertise transport services. Most Asian and African migrants make multiple airport stopovers in what are coming to be known as ‘donkey flights’ to reach countries such as Brazil, Ecuador or Nicaragua, which have few or no visa requirements for some nationalities. Once they set foot in Latin America, they move north in buses or cars and stay at hotels booked by smuggling organizations. Many wear bracelets similar to those of an all-inclusive resort, with inscriptions that identify the organization that coordinated and charged them for the trip, Mexican authorities say.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
“For the second year in a row, arrests by the Border Patrol at the U.S. Southern border surpassed two million. Most of them, almost nine out of 10 apprehensions, are of migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. But the surge in so-called extracontinental migrants poses a challenge for the U.S. because deporting migrants to Africa and Asia is time-consuming, expensive and sometimes not possible.” (“Migrants Are Flocking to the U.S. From All Over the Globe,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/04/2023)
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Johnston gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 8:58 of the first period. His slap shot from above the right face-off circle deflected off Wild forward Danila Yurov and then bounced off the end boards and in off Wallstedt’s left arm.
“I’ve had a goal like that go in on me, too, that’s a tough bounce,” Oettinger said. “Like I said in Game 1, we got some bad bounces. We got a nice bounce there. We had one where I was behind the net, and the guy was shooting it in the net and our (defense) stopped it, so we got some good bounces. The way we played the last 40 minutes of the game, I think, didn’t give up much, had a ton of good chances offensively. The power play, we got looks and our (penalty kill) was great. If we kind of build off the game that we played the last 40 minutes, I think we should feel very good for the next few games.”
Faber tied it 1-1 at 11:33. He took a pass from Hughes, skated around Robertson in the left circle and cut to the slot, where his wrist shot ramped up and in off Oettinger.
Duchene put the Stars back up 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:02 of the second period. Mikko Rantanen gained the offensive zone along the right boards and sent a backhand pass to Duchene, who snapped the puck between Wallstedt’s pads from in front.
Robertson made it 3-1 at 7:09 of the third period when he tipped Lundkvist’s wrist shot from the blue line past the right pad of Wallstedt.
“I think we got to do a better job, I mean, the odd-man’s, right? I thought we played a really good game. Probably their best game, you know, meaningful game. And, yeah, we didn’t get fazed by it. Was really good by us. Just got to be smarter in some areas, and we get to go back home and in front of our crowd,” Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno said. “They want (penalties). I mean, they’re looking to play 5-on-4. I mean, that’s their game. They can’t hang with us 5-on-5. We got to just be smarter, and myself included. But it’s a heated game out there. You’re gonna have emotional swings and learn from it. We got a split series.”
Photograph by Ben Rollins
In the ’90s, when I was new to Atlanta, I found my way to the Atlanta Cuban Club in Doraville. On Saturday nights, it was a place to eat, dance, and listen to stories of life in Cuba before the Castro Revolution. The scene felt straight out of Miami, with a touch of Southern charm. But, about five years ago, the club closed its doors.
“I miss having a place that feels like ours,” my friend Karina Reoyo, a fellow Cuban American from Miami, tells me. “There’s nothing like that here anymore.”
Like me, Reoyo grew up in the Kendall neighborhood of Miami, where our Cuban roots showed in everything—from weekday meals to our parents’ stories about the island. She moved to metro Atlanta seven years ago, and I moved back in 2024, after first living here as a graduate student at Mercer University in DeKalb County. Now, without the Cuban Club to guide us, we’ve kept our roots alive the way we know best: through food.
And we’re not alone.
There’s a growing network of Cuban Atlantans crisscrossing the city like detectives on a hot trail, chasing down leads. We’ll drive 45 minutes for a proper pastelito, a flaky pastry filled with guava and softened, sweetened cream cheese; ground beef; or another classic rendition (like coconut). If they’re “just like they make them in Miami,” then we’ll share our finds with like-minded food sleuths we meet through friends, at PTA meetings, or even at the gas station.
If a Publix, like the one on West Paces Ferry Road, has stocked up on Materva (the sweet, slightly herbal Cuban soda made from yerba mate), then errands will be rerouted for an emergency grocery-store run. And, if Kroger, like the one on Dallas Acworth Highway in Paulding County, puts five-pound bags of frozen yuca—a starchy root vegetable served at most Cuban meals—on sale (which hasn’t happened yet this year), watch out! We’ll be there ready with two shopping carts, as if it’s Black Friday.
Photograph by Ben Rollins
Photograph by Ben Rollins
Photograph by Ben Rollins
It hasn’t always been this way. Havana Sandwich Shop co-owner Debbie Benedit says there was a time when few people in Atlanta were familiar with Cuban food. When she and her late husband, Cuban-born Eddie Benedit, opened their Buford Highway restaurant in 1976, Cuban fare was often mistaken for Mexican cuisine.
She says customers would ask, “Where are the tacos? Where’s the salsa? Why isn’t this spicy?” Then she’d have to provide a quick culinary lesson. “We’d explain that Cuban food isn’t spicy. It’s olive oil, garlic, beans, rice, citrus, and vinegar,” she says. Cuban cuisine blends Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences. It’s shaped by the island’s tropical climate and the ingredients that thrive there, including sour oranges, lemons, limes, root vegetables, and plantains.
“Things are different now,” Benedit says, adding that more Atlantans are seeking out Cuban flavors. The area’s growing Cuban population may explain the culinary shift. According to The Atlanta Regional Commission, Cubans are the fourth-largest Caribbean-born group in the area, and their numbers have more than quadrupled in counties such as Forsyth, Henry, and Gwinnett since 2010.
When Miami-raised Stacie Antich moved to Atlanta in 2007, she craved pastelitos, but there was a problem: “Pastelito recipes weren’t on Pinterest or Instagram,” she says. “You didn’t even know what was in them. I had to work from memory.”
Photograph by Ben Rollins
In 2016, she opened Buena Gente Cuban Bakery food truck, serving up her perfected pastelitos, empanadas, croquetas, and other favorites. Then, in 2020, Antich cut the ribbon on a brick-and-mortar bakery of the same name in North Decatur; the shop is bright and pink, just as her food truck was, with freshly baked pastries in a welcoming display case. “This would be considered a fancy bakery in Miami,” she says with a smile.
Buena Gente’s pastelitos are flaky, golden, and sweet, with delicate layers that break apart with each bite. And they come in a few distinct shapes: a circle for meat, a rectangle for guava, and a rolled cigar shape for cream cheese alone—an unspoken code for Cuban pastry lovers. The pastelitos de queso (cheese pastries), my go-to every time, are indeed just like the ones sold from the ventanitas (walk-up windows at neighborhood restaurants) in Miami.
Photograph by Ben Rollins
Photograph by Ben Rollins
In Roswell, Lazaro’s Cuban Cuisine offers a proper sit-down meal wrapped in nostalgia, with Cuban memorabilia throughout. A black-and-white photo of the I Love Lucy star Desi Arnaz (surely Cuba’s best-known expat) hangs directly across from the front door; I even found a bottle of Agua de Violeta in the bathroom, a nod to the abuelitas who douse the floral cologne all over babies.
Cuban-born chef and owner Lazaro Tenreiro, who once owned jewelry stores in the metro area, also says he missed the food he grew up with before he opened his own eatery. “When I opened the restaurant in 2012, it was really a passion project. I wanted food my kids and my family would eat—so it had to be good,” he says.
Lazaro’s frijoles negros (black beans) are exactly how I was taught to make them: rich with garlic, onions, and a hint of cumin. And the vegan picadillo (a clever twist on our traditional ground beef dish) is a tasty surprise, with ground green-plantain peel cooked with peppers, onions, and Manzanilla olives.
Photograph by Ben Rollins
Photograph by Ben Rollins
In Marietta Square, a popular spot to take my kids for a quick, authentic meal is D’Cuban Cafe, which has other locations around metro Atlanta. Colombian co-owner Nicolas Angel says his cousin, D’Cuban co-owner Lucas Mejia Angel, also from Colombia, fell in love with Cuban food during a trip to Miami and brought those flavors back to Atlanta.
Though the D’Cuban menu is fast-casual, everything is made from scratch daily. A bowl of ropa vieja (“old clothes” in Spanish) comes with shredded beef simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce, served alongside black beans, white rice, and perfectly sweet maduros (ripened plantains).
Of course, Papi’s Cuban Grill is still my top pick when Cuban relatives come to town. The Kennesaw location brings back memories of the casual spots we Miamians grew up with. When my family and I walk in the door, we’re transported to the famed Versailles restaurant on Calle Ocho as the aroma of sofrito—the base of most Cuban dishes, comprising the holy trinity of onions, garlic, and green peppers—fills the air. And the fried yuca appetizer, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, is even better than the one I grew up eating.
Meanwhile, in Paulding County, my friend Karina’s husband, Carell Rodriguez—who is also Cuban and from Miami—is reviving the spirit of the Cuban Club by guest-teaching rueda de casino, a form of Cuban salsa, at Rosa Negra restaurant in Dallas. “Rosa Negra is Latin-infused, and not necessarily Cuban food,” Rodriguez tells me. “I do, nonetheless, enjoy their chicharrones (crispy fried pork), empanadas, and tostones (twice-fried, smashed plantain slices). They remind me of home.”
After class, he unwinds with a mojito. “A mojito is basically Cuba in a glass,” he says. “It’s light, refreshing, and nostalgic.” His wife agrees, chiming in, “Their mojitos are better than the ones in Miami.”
I can’t vouch for their mojitos (not yet, anyway). But in many ways, Atlanta’s Cuban finds are better than what we left behind. Maybe it’s the chase that makes them more satisfying. Or maybe it’s just the joy of tasting home, right when you need it most.
This article appears in our April 2026 issue.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Georgia Gubernational candidate Geoff Duncan made another appearance in Augusta on Monday, speaking at the IBEW Local 1579 on Reynolds Street.
Duncan is one of the three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Duncan said when he served as lieutenant governor of the state, he fought to expand access to health care in rural communities. He said if he’s elected, he’ll focus on lowering costs in other areas.
Duncan stopped by NewsChannel 6 ahead of the campaign stop to speak about his plans.
“Look, 90% of Georgians know what they’re talking about when they want to pass commonsense gun legislation like universal background checks, red flag laws, and in-home safe storage laws. As governor, I want to lead the charge, and I want to give political cover to those Republicans that want to do the right thing, build those consensus around those bills,” Duncan said. “I hope to get some of them the cosign that legislation. Because it meets people where they’re at. It’s common sense. Look, I don’t want anybody to ever walk by a television screen and make another excuse for a mass shooting when it could have been stopped. With just common sense laws that are on the books.”
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
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