Sen. Marsha Blackburn visited the Texas border and found that physical barriers erected by the state, like buoys in the Rio Grande and shipping containers, have significantly reduced illegal crossings in Eagle Pass from thousands to dozens.
She said her CONTAINER Act, allowing states to construct barriers when the federal government fails, and CLEAR Act, sending a message not to migrate illegally, are needed.
“I took the time to go back to Eagle Pass, if you remember I was there last January in 2023,” Blackburn said. “Eagle Pass was kind of the hotspot. What the state of Texas has done is begin to put barriers in place. They have put buoys in place in the river. They have got containers at the water’s edge and they have got razor wire and fencing to help secure their border, actually secure it. The crossings are greatly diminished. Eagle Pass was seeing thousands of people coming across their border, and today it’s in the dozens. I was actually out in the water and we saw about 12 people trying to cross.”
While Eagle Pass sees success, crossings rise elsewhere like El Paso.
“It shows why we need to pass my CONTAINER Act, which would allow state and local governments to put temporary barriers in place when the federal government is failing to do their job,” Blackburn said. “I think it’s also why we need to pass my CLEAR Act sending that message ‘don’t even come’ and ‘if you do something wrong, we’re going to send you right back home.’”
“You saw the group at El Paso. We’re hearing that Arizona has seen an uptick,” Blackburn said. “California has seen an uptick. Because of that, people are looking for places they can cross where they don’t have those kinds of barriers but it shows you why it’s so important to secure that southern border.”
Blackburn stated barriers work and cited a Texas DPS officer saying they need physical barriers and technology to counter cartels.
She criticized Biden for 94 executive actions opening the border and not reversing policies like remain in Mexico.
“There again, as you’re saying, walls work,” Blackburn said. “We know that. One of the Texas DPS officers today said ‘look, we’ve been saying for years we need a physical barrier, we need better technology because the cartels are definitely monitoring our local and federal law enforcement with technology, and then of course we need to make certain we have more officers and agents on the ground.’”
“Of course, Joe Biden could choose to take some actions and reverse the 94 executive actions he took in the first 100 days. He could do that,” Blackburn said. “But he has chosen not to do that. His border policy is an open border — that is his border policy. We know that. I doubt he would take any action that will secure the border. He’s trying to find things that would mitigate some of the issues around those that are illegally in the country being in the country, like more money to blue cities that are saying ‘send us money because now we have these illegal migrants that have come to our cities.’ But that’s not the answer.”
“The answer is what I heard from Texas DPS today: You need a physical barrier because a barrier works. You need better technology. You need more officers and agents. And President Trump didn’t have this problem because he had secured the border. This is why we need to pass my CONTAINER Act, which gives the authority to state and local governments to secure the border when the federal government does not do that and it is why we need to be deporting criminal illegal aliens and making certain they do not get to stay in the country.”
Blackburn noted Texas seized over 31,000 pounds of drugs including enough fentanyl to kill all Americans.
Local residents feel unheard by the White House and want barriers to secure their land from crime and property damage from border crossings.
“Texas DPS actually had some information on that and what they’ve done since they started Operation Lone Star is they have apprehended something like 31,000 pounds of marijuana and 14,000 pounds of meth and 2,000 pounds of fentanyl — think about that,” Blackburn said. “That’s enough fentanyl to kill every person in the United States. Being able to secure the border and to focus your work, that’s an important thing to do.”
“I had lunch with some ranchers and farmers and of course there were some local law enforcement there and some businesspeople who were there on the border,” Blackburn said. “They feel as if the White House is not listening to them. If the White House were listening to them then they would be helping them to secure their farms and ranches. Right now, they’re finding themselves and their homes and their property and their farms and their barns and their farm equipment on the front line. You’ve got homes and barns and shops that are being broken into. You’ve got vehicles they are absconding with, and they would really appreciate it if the White House would just say: ‘What do you need to secure this border?’ I think number one would be build us a physical barrier.”
🚨BREAKING: Hundreds of illegals overrun Texas troops in El Paso, storming the border pic.twitter.com/3ZPH3hwG6K
— Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) March 21, 2024
Most Popular:
Hidden Camera Exposes Biden Official
Border Patrol Marksman Takes Matters Into His Own Hands
