Ex-Border Patrol boss pleads with Republicans not to back down on border security in Biden showdown

Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan is pleading with congressional Republicans to not to back down on border security in their budget showdown with President Joe Biden.

"Republicans have never been in a stronger position right at this very moment in time in history," Morgan said on the Just the News, No Noise TV show this week. "And if we don't seize upon this, I don't think we're ever going to have this opportunity again."

Morgan helped craft legislation titled H.R.2, also known as the "Secure the Border Act." This bill would immediately resume construction of the wall on the southern border, supply border patrol agents with resources and invest in technology for border security. 

"This is the time for the Republicans to step up and educate the American people and make this White House put our border security and our sovereignty ahead of other nations," Morgan said.

While Morgan said there is nothing wrong with helping other nations secure their border, the U.S. has to secure its own border first. 

According to data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in October, there have been a total of 736 terrorist suspects stopped at the border in fiscal year 2023, part of the 3.2 million people who have attempted to enter the country illegally.

"Right now we have our own war that we're fighting," Morgan said. "I use that word intentionally: war. We're fighting it on our own borders, and the cartels are our enemy."

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said that he doesn't believe Biden or Senate Democrats have any intention in enacting H.R. 2 into law. 

"The Senate has literally sat on it," McCormick said on the Wednesday edition of the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "The president has sat on it. The president has no intention of making this into law. As a matter of fact, to the point where they say 'we're not even going to combine it with other things that we want, because we don't want any compromise in securing our border.'"

He added that if Biden loses the presidential election in 2024, it will be because of his handling of the border. 

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Az., said he thinks that Speaker Mike Johnson should hold out and get all of H.R. 2 in the budget deal.

"I'm the type of guy that believes that we could get a lot more than we normally get if we actually were willing to stand and fight," Crane said. "I don't usually see that from the Republican Party. It's one of my many, many frustrations. "It's not that there's not plenty of good people in the party. I think that there's just this attitude that we have to continually capitulate and kick the can down the road."

Morgan also slammed Senate Republicans who attempted to compromise on border security.

"We have Senate Republicans that are actually negotiating against themselves to water down the plan that they all voted for and agreed is the way forward to secure our border," he said. "So I'm hoping that they stand strong, and they do not capitulate. There is no compromise on border security."

"I understand there's a lot in this country that we need people to come together and compromise on," he added. "But border security? That's not one of them. I mean, where's the compromise on the drugs coming in and killing Americans? Or the criminals, murderers, rapists, pedophiles and gang members that are national security threats. There is no compromise on this.”