Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has joined forces with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to support the CONTAINER (Creating Obstructions Necessary to Address Illegal and Nefarious Entry Rapidly) Act, a legislation aimed at empowering border states to protect their borders by establishing temporary barriers or structures on federal lands.

In a statement, Hyde-Smith expressed her concern over the Biden administration's failure to address the border crisis and emphasized the need for states to take action to protect their citizens. She said, "This reasonable legislation would ensure states, particularly those directly on the border, can erect barriers to deter the never-ending violation of our borders."

Senator Blackburn echoed these sentiments, noting that since President Biden took office, there have been over 8.5 million apprehensions at the southern border, effectively turning every state into a border state. She criticized the administration for impeding measures that could secure the border, such as shipping containers and razor wire, and emphasized the importance of Congress granting explicit authority to border states to protect their communities and the sovereignty of the United States.

The CONTAINER Act (S.3576) seeks to provide this authority by allowing border states to temporarily place movable, temporary structures on federal land without first seeking federal approval. The bill also permits states to keep these structures on federal land for up to a year, with the possibility of 90-day extensions.

The Biden administration's actions in recent weeks have further highlighted the need for such legislation. The administration requested the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the Border Patrol to remove razor wire placed on the southern border in Texas, undermining border states' right to secure their communities. Additionally, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit to halt Arizona's use of large shipping containers along parts of the southern border, which were intended to fill gaps in the incomplete border wall and make illegal entry into the United States more difficult.

While the U.S. Constitution recognizes states' inherent power to protect their borders, current law prohibits states from placing structures on federal land without prior authorization. The CONTAINER Act aims to waive this approval process, enabling border states to take necessary measures to address the escalating crisis.

The statistics regarding the border crisis are alarming. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 8 million apprehensions at the southern border. Fiscal year 2023 alone witnessed over 3.2 million apprehensions, reaching an all-time high. December 2023 alone recorded over 276,000 migrant encounters, the highest month ever recorded. The termination of the successful Title 42 enforcement authority on May 11, 2023, has further exacerbated the crisis.

In addition to Hyde-Smith and Blackburn, several other senators have cosponsored the CONTAINER Act, including U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).

The CONTAINER Act represents a bipartisan effort to address the border crisis and provide border states with the necessary tools to protect their communities. As the debate over border security continues, it remains to be seen how Congress will respond to this critical issue.