Biden Administration Proposal Would Gut ICE Amid Border Crisis
‘The fentanyl trafficked across the southern border has become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45. Of the 2,135 overdose deaths in my home state of Kentucky last year, fentanyl was the most prevalent drug involved. And nationwide, synthetic opioids contributed to about 75,000 out of nearly 110,000 overdose deaths.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the southern border:
“On the Biden Administration’s watch, America’s southern border has descended into humanitarian disaster. And across the country, Democrats’ open border policies have turned every state into a border state.
“The fentanyl trafficked across the southern border has become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45.
“Of the 2,135 overdose deaths in my home state last year, fentanyl was the most prevalent drug involved. And nationwide, synthetic opioids contributed to about 75,000 of the nearly 110,000 overdose deaths.
“But the painful ripple effects of Washington Democrats’ failure to address the border crisis extend even further. In major cities across the country, the flow of illegal migrants is testing the patience of even the most liberal mayors.
“The number of arrivals in New York City is now close to 10,000 per month, and Mayor Adams has said that the city’s response will cost $12 billion over the next three years if the flow continues at the same rate. Being a ‘sanctuary city’ is starting to come at a price.
“Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is continuing to sit on resources that were already paid for during the previous administration. The Army Corps of Engineers is paying $160,000 per month to store more than 20,000 unused border wall panels that have already been paid for by the taxpayer.
“But instead of finally starting to enforce our immigration laws, the Biden Administration apparently wants to respond by gutting the agency tasked with doing so, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“The junior Senator for Tennessee, Senator Hagerty, wrote recently about how the Administration’s supplemental funding proposal included a provision to redirect ICE funding toward paying for community based residential facilities, airplane tickets, and hotel rooms.
“As our colleague put it, quote, ‘this would effectively convert ICE from a law enforcement agency into a U.S. travel agency for illegal aliens.’
“Washington Democrats’ neglect has shattered America’s border security. Now, they want to make life even harder for the men and women working hard to clean up this mess.
“The American people need security. Not another attack on law enforcement.”
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Related Issues: Fentanyl
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