EAGLE PASS, Texas (LifeSiteNews) — Amid record rates of illegal immigration into the United States, sparking controversial moves by Republican governors to transport immigrants to left-wing states that have advertised themselves “sanctuaries,” billionaire businessman Elon Musk visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas this week to call for immigration reform.
The SpaceX founder, Tesla CEO, and owner of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, appeared on a livestream on the bank of the Rio Grande river in Eagle Pass, Texas, wearing a black cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses, promising to give an “unfiltered” look at the crisis Republicans are now calling an “invasion.”
He told viewers he would be speaking with law enforcement officials and others to get a sense of what’s happening, and called for reforms to the current immigration system.
Musk, who moved from his home country, South Africa, as a teenager and later obtained U.S. citizenship, emphasized that he is “extremely pro-immigrant” but that curbs on immigration are necessary.
At Eagle Pass discussing the border crisis https://t.co/Gt30ifvvFk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 28, 2023
“I believe that we need a greatly expanded legal immigration system, and that we should let anyone in the country who is hardworking and honest and will be a contributor to the United States,” he said, calling for “expedited approval for anyone who falls in that category.”
However, he said the U.S. “shouldn’t be allowing people in the country if they’re breaking the law. That doesn’t make sense.”
Musk said officials should “do both things,” explaining that action should be taken to stop the “flow of people that is of such magnitude that it is leading to a collapse of social services…”
READ: Democrats are using immigration, open borders to secure future election victories
According to Musk, the immigration crisis under the Biden administration is “’beyond insane.”
And of course he’s right.
He pointed out that New York is “buckling” under the strain of mass migration – something Democratic leaders, including self-professed immigration champions New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have stressed in recent months. Facing a surging migrant disaster, Adams and Hochul are now decrying the situation and calling on the Biden administration to fix the crisis at the border.
The billionaire businessman’s unconventional move to show up at the U.S. border with nothing but a smartphone and a desire to share the reality of the situation with the world is an important and necessary one.
Border crossings have exploded during the Biden administration, as Customs and Border Protection recorded 1.72 million illegal border crossings during fiscal year 2021 and a staggering 2.76 million in fiscal year 2022, NBC reported.
According to ABC, officials at the border “encountered [illegal immigrants] more than 300,000 times nationwide last month, up from 245,213 in July, according to the data,” marking “the largest monthly total ever recorded during the Biden administration.”
As conservatives are acutely aware, concerns about the record border crossings encompass a wide range of serious objections.
Advocates for increased enforcement of immigration laws highlight the fact that people from across the globe – not just South and Central America – are exploiting the porous border, jeopardizing national security. Moreover, cartels are smuggling weapons, engaging in human trafficking – including sex trafficking of both adults and children – and transporting illegal narcotics, contributing to massive spikes in drug-related deaths nationwide.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, is rapidly becoming a “drug of choice” for smugglers bringing illegal drugs across the border, NBC reported. In 2021, federal agents in El Paso, Texas, told the outlet that fentanyl seizures have increased by 4,000 percent in recent years.
READ: Biden admin orders illegal immigrant minors be given ‘access’ to abortion
In addition, as noted by Musk, mass migration puts a huge strain on social services, a burden borne by American citizens in border towns like Eagle Pass and across the country. Others point out that mass illegal immigration increases crime, and that failure to assimilate new immigrants leads to cultural balkanization.
But for many, the immigration crisis doesn’t matter until it becomes real to them – until they see the “unfiltered” reality, or the crowds of illegal immigrants showing up in their own city begging for access to already-strained social services.
The Biden administration has now been forced to at least pay lip service to the problem, in large part thanks to the unorthodox tactics of Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who have moved to highlight the growing crisis by literally bringing it to Democrats’ doorsteps.
The crisis has to become so acute that it’s impossible to ignore.
And if Washington elites won’t do it, it falls to Republican governors, conservative journalists, and even eccentric entrepreneurs to do it.