Protect Communities From A Porous Border

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, before my commentary on this disastrous border self-inflicted by this administration, I want to speak on behalf of my fellow Texans.

I think I can say this with confidence: They welcome the immigrant, the God-fearing, freedom-loving immigrant that wants to make this country their home, pledge allegiance to our flag, embrace our ideals and improve even our way of life.

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the immigrant, but only if they respect our laws, our sovereignty, and the safety of our fellow Americans.

Since January, this administration has created an unprecedented and unmitigated crisis at our southern border. They have repealed every effective measure that was in place to stop the flow of illegal Americans and to secure the border. They have willfully disregarded the Constitution and its mandate on the people's government to provide for the common defense.

Our President has failed to faithfully uphold the law, to fulfill the sacred duty to enforce the laws of the land. They have completely ceded control of our border and the sovereignty of this great country to paramilitary drug cartels. They have enriched, empowered, these narco terrorists at the expense of the vulnerable migrants who take this dangerous trek and, most importantly, at the expense of the American people, our families, our children.

Mr. Speaker, this administration has intentionally opened up our border to a flood of human trafficking, unprecedented drug smuggling, and a record amount of crime and gang activity. There is no apology for it. There is no recognition of it. There seems to be no sign of changing the posture and policies of this administration. There is no accountability. They are not committed to detaining and deporting.

Mr. Speaker, they are catching and releasing, there is lawlessness, chaos, and a border beyond recognition. This central tenet of catch and release has not only rewarded illegal immigration, but it has dispersed this crisis beyond our border to every State in the United States, making every State a border State.

Since March, 160,000 illegal immigrants have been released into the United States. This, in addition to almost a half a million got-aways.

Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that folks who were being detained, illegal immigrants, were being released into neighborhoods in communities in my district. They couldn't tell me how many. They couldn't tell me where they came from. They couldn't tell me who was going to follow up, when they would show up for court. They had nothing. They could confirm, however, that there were people being released, illegal immigrants, into our communities who were COVID positive, and some who had criminal records. Nobody notified. Not me, not our governor, no local officials--just releasing folks.

Meanwhile, this administration is mandating and insisting on vaccines and public health protocols, but letting folks just stream into our country. They say one of every five illegal immigrants crossing is COVID positive, and so there is this public safety threat of another surge inundating our hospitals while they force their policies on the American people in this regard. Shameful.

And there has been an exponential increase in criminal aliens apprehended at the border. These are folks who have committed a crime on our soil who have crossed back over--four times as much criminal activity, criminal aliens.

Mr. Speaker, the numbers are startling: 348 percent increase in criminal aliens convicted of DUIs coming back to the United States; 454 percent increase in criminal aliens convicted of drug possession; 477 percent increase in robbery, theft, burglary; over 200 percent increase in sex offenses, and over 1600 percent increase in criminal aliens who have come over to our country and committed murder.

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