Immigration

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, on a related matter, the Iranian air strike is about more than nuclear weapons. It is about, also, the threat of terrorism. Iranian terrorists have targeted Americans for decades. Iran actively pursued an assassination plot against President Trump. Other top officials in the United States have also been targets of Iranian terrorists.

Recently, Iran threatened to activate its so-called sleeper cells right here inside the United States. Let that sink in. This is an urgent reminder that national security starts with border security.

Under Joe Biden and the Democrats, more than 1,500 illegal immigrants from Iran crossed our southern border, and 729 of them were released into our country by Joe Biden. And that might just be the tip of the iceberg because, remember, under Joe Biden and the Democrats, there were millions of ``got-aways,'' people who weren't stopped sneaking across the border; they were detected--either through satellite images or different mechanisms of looking for people: heat detection of people moving across the desert--but not able to be captured.

How many of them were Iranian agents as well? How many of them are, today, in sleeper cells? Well, the truth is, no one knows. What we do know is this: President Trump took office, and since that time, illegal border crossings are down by 95 percent.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are working fast. In the last 7 days alone, ICE arrested 130 illegal immigrants from Iran. Right now, 670 Iranian nationals are being detained. President Trump's detentions are working.

Now the administration needs more resources to finish the job. That is why Republicans are fighting for our comprehensive safety agenda. Our bill increases funding for border security and enforcement by $160 billion. It finishes the wall. It hires thousands of new Border Patrol and ICE agents. It gives them a bonus for keeping our communities safe.

In November, Americans wanted, needed, and voted for safe communities and secure borders. Our Republican safety agenda delivers what the Americans want, need, and have voted for.

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