Border Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROUZER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Missouri for leading this Special Order and her great leadership in so many respects and, particularly, in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no question about it. Our Nation is in the midst of a humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border, one that is growing by the day, and its impact is far- reaching.

Unfortunately, many of these illegal aliens are very dangerous individuals with criminal records, members of gangs, and others coming for nefarious purposes who are exploiting the loopholes and current immigration laws. This has led to an increase in human trafficking and a lethal spike in drug trafficking that is striking rural and urban communities, alike, all across this great land.

During the past 2 years, ICE officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records, including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults and nearly 30,000 sex crimes.

Data shows that 31 percent of women and nearly 17 percent of men are sexually assaulted en route to the border. The situation is so bad that nearly 70 percent of migrants are victims of some form of violence during their travel.

Now, let's talk about the drugs.

Heroin and fentanyl are hitting rural and urban America in epidemic proportions. Just this past year, there was a 73 percent increase of fentanyl and 22 percent increase in heroin brought across the southern border. In fact, approximately 90 percent of the heroin brought into this country is smuggled across.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2017 alone, more than 70,000 lives were lost due to drug overdoses. They published this just this past December 18, more than 70,000 lives.

The drugs coming in across the border are destroying lives, separating families, and robbing this country of great talent that is so badly needed. Almost every business owner I talked to tells me what a hard time they have trying to find workers because, in so many cases, they can't pass a drug test.

My home State of North Carolina also suffers greatly from the prevalence of human trafficking. In so many cases, this, too, starts at the southern border.

Here is the bottom line: Criminal organizations and others are utilizing illegal immigration as a way to make billions in profit and cause harm to countless victims in the process. A barrier in the right places makes a lot of common sense. The President is asking for a little more than 230-some square miles of steel barrier out of almost 2,000 miles of border. This shouldn't even be a debate. Give me a break.

Mr. Speaker, this is a crisis that requires bipartisan action. I applaud President Trump and his commitment to securing the border, and I am proud to stand with him until it is done.

I urge our Democratic colleagues to come to the table. This is a negotiation. This is a process. Come to the table and let's work it out, and let's do what is right for the American people.

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