Thune: Trump Administration Restores Control at the Southern Border
“Republicans don’t just want to turn the page on the border crisis of the Biden years; we want to close the book.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, before I begin my remarks today, I want to say a word about our former colleague Christopher ‘Kit’ Bond who passed away yesterday at the age of 86.
“Kit Bond dedicated his life to serving the people of Missouri.
“After serving as state auditor, he became Missouri’s youngest governor at the age of 33.
“Missourians sent him to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and he served there for 24 years.
“His interests were many: from literacy and housing to trade with Southeast Asia.
“And those of us who knew him remember his kindness, his great care for people, and his love for this institution.
“Today, I remember Kit for his life, for his service – and my prayers are with his wife Linda and his son, Sam.
“Mr. President, on Monday Customs and Border Protection released its monthly update for April.
“And I want to read a line from that release, and I quote: ‘Driven by the administration’s decisive and effective immigration enforcement, our frontlines continue to see overwhelming improvements when it comes to securing our border.’
“In April, CBP – Customs and Border Protection – encountered just 12,035 illegal immigrants trying to cross our southern border.
“In the entire month, Mr. President.
“March saw just 11,019.
“February: 11,708.
“Mr. President, during the Biden administration there were single days – days – that saw those kinds of numbers.
“And that’s not the only good news.
“CBP also reported an increase in drug seizures in April.
“And as Acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores says, and I quote, ‘For the first time in years, more agents are back in the field – patrolling territories that CBP didn’t have the bandwidth or manpower to oversee just six months ago.’
“Mr. President, I have to say it’s amazing what new leadership can do.
“In seemingly no time at all, the Trump administration has restored operational control at the border.
“Border Patrol agents are no longer processing thousands of illegal immigrants a day.
“They’re out in the field, apprehending illegal border crossers, seizing drugs, and disrupting human and drug smuggling networks.
“Meanwhile, ICE agents and other law enforcement officers are busy removing criminal illegal immigrants who have taken up residence in our country.
“Mr. President, not long ago the story was much different.
“During the Biden administration, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants were crossing the southern border in a single month, including a concerning number of known gotaways.
“And the Biden administration abused the parole and asylum systems to waive illegal immigrants into the United States.
“As a result, communities across the country were overwhelmed by the influx.
“And valuable resources had to be used to process and transport these migrants – resources that could have gone toward securing the border, arresting criminals, and stopping the flow of illegal drugs.
“Mr. President, I’m grateful at the progress that’s been made so quickly by President Trump and his administration.
“Our country is safer today than it was just a few months ago.
“And we want to ensure that President Trump and his administration – and future administrations – have the resources they need for this success to continue.
“That’s why the reconciliation bill that we’ll take up will make a generational investment in border security.
“That means money to finish the border wall.
“It means technology to help border agents stop illegal immigrants and drugs from entering our country in the first place.
“It means additional Border Patrol agents on the front lines.
“More Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to carry out removals.
“More detention capacity and transportation resources to facilitate deportations.
“And certainty for the president’s team that it will have the resources it needs to execute its mission for the entirety of the Trump administration.
“Mr. President, Republicans don’t just want to turn the page on the border crisis of the Biden years; we want to close the book.
“And that’s what this bill will help do.
“Democrats may not support our efforts – even now I’m not sure border security really even registers on their priority list.
“But the American people, Mr. President, support border security.
“And we intend to deliver it.
“We are committed to ensuring that the success we’ve seen so far can continue long into the future.
“For the men and women on the front lines.
“And for the safety and security of the American people.”
Related Issues: Border Security
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