Protecting Our Communities From Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5283, the Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act.

For 3 years, Americans have experienced the repercussions of the Biden administration's failed border policies.

In fiscal year 2023 alone, over 2.4 million migrants were apprehended illegally crossing our southern border with drug smugglers, human traffickers, terrorists, and other dangerous criminals taking advantage of our porous border.

This crisis has affected every facet of our Nation, including our National Park Service.

In September, the Biden administration signed a lease with New York City to house at least 2,000 illegal migrants in a tent encampment at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn which sits on Federal land.

This encampment conflicts with Federal law, takes away from the field's taxpayer-funded recreational activities, and raises serious safety concerns both for those who would be housed there and for those who live nearby, as it puts an undue burden on law enforcement.

A couple of months ago in the Natural Resources Committee, we actually heard from people who represented the Park Service and lived and worked in New York City, including law enforcement. I feel that it is our job as Representatives to be listening to the people who actually live and work in those communities to have legislation that makes an impact there.

They are the ones that told us about the security concerns and the concerns from tourists. What were the children and people who are encamped there doing on a daily basis?

Some of the issues they had were with criminal activity and how it interfered with the recreational purposes of that park. Americans shouldn't be deprived access to national parks and lands paid for by their tax dollars because of this administration's destructive immigration policies.

This bill, that I was proud to work on as a member of the Natural Resources Committee, would reverse the decision to lease Park Service land to New York City to house illegal migrants and prohibit the Biden administration from doing so with any Federal lands in the future.

Mr. Chair, I came to Washington to restore commonsense leadership, and with this bill we have an opportunity to do just that.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5283.

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