The Trib recently reported 168 drug overdose deaths in Westmoreland County in 2021, up 37% from the prior year (”Coroner’s report shows 168 accidental overdose deaths in 2021 in Westmoreland County,” March 23, TribLIVE). What a senseless tragedy this is for families that have needlessly lost loved ones.

Sadly, addiction is an illness, but with an unsecure southern border, the supply chain for illegal drugs greatly expanded in the last year. Fentanyl was responsible for 137, or a whopping 82%, of the county’s overdose deaths. This deadly drug flows north with drug cartel couriers, many of whom avoid detection by border agents as “get-aways.” About 1.66 million illegals were encountered by border guards in fiscal 2021, up more than four-fold from the prior year.

President Biden and Vice President Harris seem to have ignored this crisis and now plan to end Title 42, which will further overwhelm border agents who have added duties as babysitters and travel agents to relocate this flood of known lawbreakers throughout the U.S., including to Pennsylvania.

With a crisis-overwhelmed executive branch, the time is now for our elected senators and representatives to display leadership by impeaching totally feckless Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden-appointed secretary of Homeland Security. This is a critical test for our Democratic and Republican legislators who either stand with our people and fix this border crisis or who take the easier route by allowing Biden’s appointee to continue ignoring immigration laws and the resulting increased flow of deadly drugs that cause devastation in our county, state and country.

Larry Schultz

Murrysville