More than 500 people on the terrorist watchlist have been caught at the Border since Joe Biden took office
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville joined U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and ten other Republican Senators in demanding President Biden expand construction of the southern border wall, after U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced it will only resume construction for 20 more miles of the wall. In a letter to President Biden, the senators cite the need for further action to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs such as fentanyl from entering the country.
“In light of Secretary Mayorkas’ announcement, we write to urge your administration to ensure that more land mass is covered by the border wall and for you to rescind and resubmit your August 2023 supplemental funding request to Congress to specifically include additional resources for construction,” the senators wrote. “Under the current proposal, approximately 20 miles of border wall will be established. However, more must be done to deter unfettered illegal immigration, which is continuing at record-breaking pace. If we are to ensure the safety of American communities, more miles of border wall must be constructed.”
There have been more than 7 million illegal border crossings—including 500 people on the terrorist watchlist—since the beginning of the Biden administration. One of El Salvador’s Top 100 Most Wanted was recently arrested in Chelsea, Alabama. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 835 Alabamians died from fentanyl in 2022.
Also signing the letter are U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and John Hoeven (R-ND).
BACKGROUND:
Senator Tuberville supports common-sense policies that strengthen our border and national security like building the wall and reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico policy. Senator Tuberville has spoken about his concerns on the floor of the U.S. Senate and called on the Biden administration to act. Last month, Senator Tuberville helped introduce the Secure the Border Act of 2023, the Senate companion to passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, commonly known as H.R. 2. Senator Tuberville also recently questioned one of Joe Biden’s defense nominees about why the administration has failed to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl from coming into our country across the southern border.
During his two years in the United States Senate, Senator Tuberville has made multiple visits to the southern border and worked on many legislative initiatives to secure the border, including giving law enforcement the tools needed to keep our communities safe and reforming immigration law to crack down on abuse and discourage illegal immigration.
- In March 2023, Senator Tuberville introduced the Border Safety and Security Act to protect Americans by combatting the border crisis created by President Biden’s immigration policies.
– The legislation puts more responsibility on the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and gives increased authority to state attorneys general in holding DHS accountable if the department fails in its duty to restrict entry and detain illegal immigrants. - Also in March 2023, Senator Tuberville cosponsored the Stopping Border Surges Act to address loopholes in our immigration system that encourage vulnerable immigrant populations to take dangerous, illegal paths of entry into the United States.
– The legislation includes reforms that would reduce unsustainable surges of illegal immigrants, strengthen our asylum process, eliminate the incentive to send children to the border; and dampen the exploitative power of coyotes and cartels. - In 2022, Senator Tuberville introduced, for the second year in a row, the Empowering Law Enforcement Act (ELEA) to help combat the Biden administration’s nullification of U.S. immigration laws.
- Also in 2022, Senator Tuberville joined congressional colleagues in introducing a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to dissolve a Biden administration rule that would illegally upend the process by which the U.S. government grants asylum claims.
– The rule would exacerbate the crisis at the border and encourage fraudulent asylum claims by allowing illegal border crossers who claim asylum to have their asylum application approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials instead of immigration judges.
– The rule also allows illegal border crossers claiming asylum to live in the U.S. free from detention while their application is pending. - In 2021, Senator Tuberville introduced his first piece of legislation as U.S. Senator, which required DHS to issue notices to appear to every single person paroled or released into the U.S., after media reported on the border becoming so overrun that Customs and Border Protection officers were forced to quickly release illegal immigrants into U.S. communities with no follow up for a date in immigration court.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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