GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Nearly 2,000 miles long, the southern U.S. border can be seen all the way from space.
But perhaps even bigger than its geographical size is the impact it has on U.S. policy and the lives of everyday people.
Even over a thousand miles away from that border, immigration remains top of mind for many in Michigan.
"It is probably close to the number one issue that I hear about from our constituents," Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) told 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
The growing national conversation gave way to dueling trips to the southern border last week from former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
Scholten, who herself visited that border earlier this year, said it's not just southern border states that are impacted by immigration.
"[Michigan's] connection to the Great Lakes as well as Canada makes us within a geographic enforceable area to have all parts of Michigan be considered a border state from [U.S. Customs and Border Protection's] perspective," Scholten said.
"Migrants who are crossing our southern border are also not staying in, you know, Texas and California, Arizona," Scholten said. "They're traveling up to northern states as well."
Under the Biden administration, expulsions and apprehensions of noncitizens have spiked amid a rise in illegal border crossings.
It's a situation that has caused many in Congress and around the country to label the situation a crisis.
"I've worked on immigration issues for close to 20 years now - both on the humanitarian side and also at our nation's top law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice, enforcing our nation's immigration laws," Scholten said. "And I will say, even I was shocked at just the overwhelming chaos that is happening at our southern border right now."
"The system that we have is not set up to meet just the insurmountable demands that are being presented every single day at our southern border," she continued. "It is truly a national security, emergency humanitarian crisis and an economic disaster."
While they differ on what they believe to be the causes and solutions, the dire outlook of the current situation is one shared by fellow Michigan Rep. John Moolenaar.
"It's something that's affecting every community and some of these cities, they have sanctuary cities, and the cities are bursting at the seams," Moolenaar said. "And so when you look at that, it's not a sustainable policy."
For Moolenaar, he believes the problems to have stemmed, at least in part, from the actions of the current administration.
"President Biden reversed President Trump's policies on day one, and was very proud to do that," Moolenaar said. "Unfortunately, he's created a crisis at the southern border."
In Scholten's view, a bulk of the issue lies within the situations faced in foreign nations by migrants.
"[Part of the solution] is addressing the root causes of migration that are happening in these sending countries," Scholten said. "Right now, insurmountable numbers coming from Venezuela, as well as still out of the Northern Triangle in Central America - we have to be working with those countries, as well as our neighbor to the south, Mexico, to deal with the flow of these individuals."
According to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, expulsions and apprehensions of noncitizens jumped to 2,584,220 in 2022 as illegal crossings had also been on the rise. That's the highest number of expulsions and apprehensions in one year since at least 1925, and more than double the highest count recorded during the Trump administration.
"The thing about a place like West Michigan - we are a compassionate and open a philanthropic community," Scholten said. "We are ready to accept new neighbors, but everyone wants this to happen in an orderly and safe fashion."
Immigration without such order, Scholten believes, would pose multiple problems.
"It's inhumane, it's not fiscally responsible, and it presents major national security issues that need to be addressed," Scholten said.
On Capitol Hill, some Republican lawmakers declined to throw their support behind a bipartisan deal meant to ease border issues.
According to the White House, the bill, negotiated by Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), includes funding for additional asylum officers and immigration judges, among other measures, to relieve the U.S.'s immigration system.
The deal's demise in the Senate came shortly after former president Trump urged lawmakers not to pass it.
"A border deal now would be another gift to the Radical Left Democrats," Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
Such rhetoric, coupled with the backdrop of a critical election year, has led Scholten to believe the downfall of the border deal was not based in a GOP desire for solutions.
"We are unfortunately in a place right now where Republican leadership is not even trying to hide the fact that they are willing to play politics with our national security, and with people's lives," Scholten said.
Many congressional Republicans, however, have refuted such a narrative, saying it's a matter of substance.
"I just don't believe that the Senate bill, as I've explained in all of our statements, meets the criteria that's necessary to solve the problem," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said.
Many, including Moolenaar, have instead favored a more hardline border bill, known as House Resolution 2, that passed the House last year.
They've also called for the current president to take executive action on the issue.
"President Biden could stop this immediately by simply requiring, you know, the building of a barrier, allowing Texas to even have their own barrier, 'Remain in Mexico' in terms of applying for asylum and making sure that we actually deport people who are breaking the law," Moolenaar said.
While a deal may not be on its way to the president's desk, based on what these members of Congress say they've heard, it's likely to stay a top issue in West Michigan heading into November.
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