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Floor Speech

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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, after 4 years of Biden-Harris failures, our country is set to make an incredible comeback with Republican control of Congress and the White House starting next year. At the top of our agenda will be securing the southern border. Until then, though, the Biden-Harris open border remains a threat to our families, our communities, and our country. Congress should waste no time in taking action to protect this Nation.

Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration has apprehended--get this number--nearly 400 suspected terrorists at the southern border. Now, that is a 3,000-percent increase compared with all 4 years of the Trump administration. They also released nearly 100 individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist into the country.

Unfortunately, these are just the terror suspects that we know about. Under this administration, there have been more than 2 million known ``got-aways,'' illegal aliens who have entered this country. They evaded apprehension by law enforcement. We do not know who they are, we do not know where they have gone, but we know that they are here from the Border Patrol accounts.

Now, on top of all of this--400 suspected terrorists, a 3,000-percent increase over the Trump years, nearly 100 that are on the Terrorist Watchlist, and the 2 million ``got-aways''--there are more than 1.7 million what are called special-interest aliens who have come from countries that pose a national security threat to our Nation, including Iran.

Of course, this is the same regime that helped plan the horrific October 7 terrorist attack on Israel that claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people, including 46 American citizens. Iran-backed Hamas terrorists also took more than 250 people hostage, including a dozen American citizens, 4 of whom remain in captivity. No one connected to these barbaric attacks should be allowed in this country. Yet, under President Biden and Vice President Harris, that risk remains sky high.

Earlier this year, Canada began issuing visas to Gazans with little to no vetting, meaning aliens with potential ties to Hamas could enter our country not only from the southern border but also the northern border. Instead of addressing the threat, however, President Biden issued an Executive order earlier this year that prevents many illegal aliens from Hamas-controlled Gaza from being deported.

A growing terror threat would be bad enough, but under this administration, we have also seen tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens reach our border. These are people who have committed crimes, some of the worst imaginable--homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and more.

As a result of this influx, we are seeing a surge in violent gang activity across America, including in my State of Tennessee. Just last week, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warned that the violent Venezuelan gang we are all hearing about, Tren de Aragua, is ramping up its human trafficking operations in Tennessee's largest cities. This is the same gang that has taken over entire apartment complexes from San Antonio to Colorado for drug dealing, sex trafficking, and other violent crimes.

Make no mistake, our country cannot afford 2 more months of this administration's broken immigration policy. By the way, that is why you are seeing all this influx, all the numbers we have talked about: the 400 suspected terrorists, the nearly 100 that have been released into this country, 55,000 criminal illegal aliens, people that are convicted of these crimes, 2,200 gang members. Why does it happen? Because this administration's border policy is an open border. That is their policy.

Last week, reports emerged that human traffickers and these human trafficking cartels in Mexico are telling everybody: You better be running to that border right now and get in before Biden leaves office.

(Ms. ROSEN assumed the Chair.)

Thankfully, the Senate can pass legislation today that would secure our border and protect our country from terrorists and criminals. Here are some pieces of legislation I have:

The PRINTS Act, which I introduced last year, would combat trafficking by giving Border Patrol the authority to fingerprint noncitizens under the age of 14 so we can protect them from being trafficked.

The CONTAINER Act, which I introduced in January, would empower border States like Texas to place temporary barriers on Federal land in order to protect their communities.

The CLEAR Act, which I introduced in March, would ensure that State and local law enforcement officials have the tools they need to help the Federal Government deport criminal illegal aliens.

The bipartisan No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act, which I recently introduced alongside Senator Rosen, who is currently serving as the Presiding Officer, would ensure that no migrant tied to Hamas and the horrific terrorist attack on October 7 is ever allowed to set foot in this country.

The bipartisan Border Smuggling Crackdown Act, which I introduced last week alongside Senator Ossoff, would ensure human smugglers are held accountable for every life they endanger.

With the growing threat of an illegal immigration surge ahead of Inauguration Day, the Senate should pass these bills immediately and send them to President Biden's desk.

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