by Rooz Dadabhoy
Recently, Virginia Democrats and dishonest mainstream media pundits have attempted to dunk on Governor Youngkin for saying that, under Democrat rule, “Virginia is a border state.” But while Virginia doesn’t share a physical border with Mexico, Governor Youngkin’s comments nonetheless underscore a stark reality for Americans in Virginia and throughout the entire country – thanks to Joe Biden and failed Democrat policies, every state is now a border state.
Governor Youngkin’s comments on Fox News were in reference to the opioid crisis that is sweeping our nation – a crisis that Democrats are apparently oblivious to or unwilling to acknowledge is directly related to the surge of illegal immigration at our southern border. The entire country, not just border states, is experiencing a spike in fentanyl overdoses as thousands of pounds of the deadly narcotic pour into the country. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 107,000 fatal drug overdoses in 2021, the highest number on record. In just the past two months, Border Patrol officers have seized more than 5 million fentanyl pills at just the border crossing in Nogales, Arizona.
In Virginia, overdose deaths increased 15 percent in 2021, also setting a new record. Our commonwealth saw more deaths caused from fentanyl than gun violence last year. Those numbers are only expected to get worse in 2022.
Democrats’ open-border policies have also paved the way for more crime in our communities – another truth that Virginia Democrats want to ignore. In one of his petulant Twitter tirades against Governor Youngkin, far-left Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano accused Governor Youngkin of being “confused” because he is “campaigning in [border] states instead of governing back here in Virginia.” Perhaps Mr. Descano forgot that, in his own jurisdiction, a sexual predator who has been deported three times is wanted for terrorizing women and girls on a popular running trail as well as for attacking a jogger in New York.
The sheer scale of the ongoing disaster at the southern border should make clear that this problem is not just confined to border states. More than 2 million people from 150 countries have been confirmed to have crossed the border illegally this fiscal year alone – a figure that does not even include the estimated 900,000-plus “gotaways,” or people who have escaped detection and fled to the interior of the country. The massive surge has overwhelmed border communities and law enforcement.
The Democrats’ border crisis is also a burgeoning humanitarian disaster for migrants who have been enticed to make the dangerous journey to the United States. In June, The United Nations International Organization for Migration named the U.S.-Mexico border the deadliest migration land route in the world, a reflection of the horrors that accompany migrants on their journey to the United States. Beatings, rapes, and murders are common as cartels shepherd desperate migrants across the border. Human trafficking is rampant. Many migrants drown trying to cross the Rio Grande. Others die of dehydration in the desert. In July, 53 migrants died in the back of a semi-truck that was left abandoned for hours in the scorching summer heat.
Democrats turn a blind eye to all of this. Even Vice President Kamala Harris – supposedly President Biden’s “border czar,” despite the fact that she has never been to the border – claims that the “border is secure,” in defiance of every observable reality on the ground. The truth is that Democrats are desperate to distract from the problem ahead of the midterm elections, because they know voters will hold them accountable for their failures.
But as Governor Youngkin wisely recognizes, this massive problem cannot be ignored. It’s not just border states that are suffering – it’s ordinary people in states like Virginia, who deserve to live in a country that has strong borders and a government that will enforce its own immigration laws.
Our commonwealth and our country need elected officials who will prioritize securing our border and take decisive action to address the illegal immigration crisis. Absent any action from the White House or Democrats in Congress, Republican leaders like Governor Youngkin are stepping up to call attention to this important issue and demand change.
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Rooz Dadabhoy is the founder and chairwoman of Rally Virginia, a network of women dedicated to supporting and championing conservatives in politics and defending American values. She is a resident of Glen Allen, Virginia.
Photo “Glenn Youngkin Meets with Virginia Police on National Law Enforcement Day” by Glenn Youngkin.
