‘The Biden administration routinely chooses to hide behind platitudes and broken promises instead of addressing the crises of their own making.
And because of that, the consequences of this administration’s illogical and inconsistent policies will be felt by Americans for decades.’
‘At every turn, it’s been about headlines over sound policy. And it’s backfired. That is absolutely no way to govern.’
‘When we allow people to continuously break our laws, we should not be surprised when more and more people join in.
We should not be surprised when our laws no longer carry weight or authority.’
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today talked about the continued chaos resulting from the Biden administration’s failure to secure the southwest border. In remarks delivered on the Senate floor, Senator Tuberville discussed how current policies incentivize people to enter the country illegally without repercussions, and how an open border is putting Americans’ safety at risk.
Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and the full speech can be viewed here.
“When their policies have failed and created chaos, the Biden administration has had a choice between doing what’s right and making our government work better, or shaming those expected to do more with less. The Biden administration has always chosen the latter. The Biden administration routinely chooses to hide behind platitudes and broken promises instead of addressing the crises of their own making. And because of that, the consequences of this administration’s illogical and inconsistent policies will be felt by Americans for decades.”
“President Biden’s weak border policies impact every aspect of our nation’s immigration system; but, the problems go far beyond the crisis we’ve seen unfold over the last 9 months at the southwest border. Just last week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas issued guidance ending worksite enforcement operations, which is the authority that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, uses to crack down on businesses who employ illegal immigrants and to process those illegal immigrant workers for removal. Without the threat of removing illegal workers, this new guidance creates a pull factor, or a magnet, attracting more people to the U.S. through illegal means. Illegal immigrants come with the knowledge that the consequence for breaking our laws under President Biden is a minimal or nonexistent pattern.”
“But this is a departure from what Democrats used to think. In 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama said, ‘We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.’”
“In 2009, Senator Chuck Schumer said, ‘Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple….people who enter the United States without permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally.’”
“And then, in 2006, then-Senator Joe Biden said, ‘Let me tell you something, folks, people are driving across that border with tons, tons—hear me, tons—of everything from byproducts [from methamphetamine] to cocaine to heroin, and it’s all coming up through corrupt Mexico.’ So, why the change? It’s politics. They’re bending to the pressure from the far-Left to abandon enforcement of the laws of this country. And just look at where it has gotten us.”
“Nearly two weeks ago, I sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra requesting information regarding the countless reports of mistreatment of unaccompanied minors while in Health and Human Services custody and once released to a parent or legal guardian. Because our country continues to face a public health emergencies brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden kept Title 42 in place at the border except for one piece of legislation. He made a huge, politically-driven exception—unaccompanied children could be admitted, regardless of public health emergency. This decision led to an onslaught of unaccompanied minors arriving at the border. This administration has been so consumed by ensuring the President receives constant good press that they rushed tens of thousands of children through processing facilities and into the hands of adults who hadn’t undergone background checks.”
“At every turn, it’s been about headlines over sound policy. And it’s backfired. That is absolutely no way to govern. Oh, and by the way, I have yet to receive a response from Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra on my question. It has been weeks.”
“Now, there are reports of yet another memo coming out of DHS, one that would protect those who acquired U.S. citizenship by fraud. U.S. citizenship is the most valuable status that we have in this country — and is coveted around the world. It is the reason millions of people immigrate to the U.S. every year, and have done so for many generations. They come here with the hope to capitalize on the opportunities this country provides – the freedoms and liberties afforded to its citizens. Allowing people to be naturalized through fraudulent methods devalues our most sacred privilege. It cheapens the inherent principles of our great country.”
“[CBP] has seized over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl this year, more than the last three years combined. Imagine the amount of illicit drugs President Biden’s open border policies have added to our opioid epidemic. And while the U.S. economy continues to suffer due to the actions taken by the Biden administration in response to COVID, the cartel economy is booming. Earlier this year, CBP estimated the cartels make an average of $14 million per day smuggling people and drugs into the U.S. The cartels are running a multi-billion-dollar business along our border, and the President is just letting it happen.”
“Never before have we experienced illegal immigration on this scale, and it can all be tracked back to the bad policy decisions of the President. U.S. law allows for legal immigration, as well as pathways to work within the U.S. economy. When we allow people to continuously break our laws, we should not be surprised when more people join in. We should not be surprised when our laws no longer carry weight or authority in our country.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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