In the News

I believe we can all agree that federal government shutdowns are unnecessary and bad. That said, the recent one-sided and partisan editorial in the Tribstar deserves a response.

I visited the southern border near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas, and was briefed by law enforcement and national security experts. In addition, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have received classified briefings on the situation at the border. Based on these briefings, I have no doubt there is an ongoing security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border that must be addressed.

Yet, today, Washington Democrats are refusing to work with President Trump and Republicans in Congress to come to a bipartisan agreement. The president made clear he’s willing to compromise in order to secure the funding he’s seeking, in a win-win proposal for both Republicans and Democrats. This compromise includes funding for a physical barrier along the border in areas identified by border patrol, $805 million for surveillance technology, canines and drug enforcement personnel, $800 million for humanitarian aid and new temporary housing, $782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents law enforcement officers and staff, and $563 million to support our immigration court system including hiring 75 new immigration judge teams. 

However, Speaker Pelosi rejected this offer before it was even officially made and has called construction of physical barrier “an immorality” and suggested the only amount of funding she is willing to accept is “one dollar.”

Seemingly, Washington Democrats simply cannot accept the results of the 2016 Presidential election. What other explanation could there be to justify blocking Congressional action on border security matters other than denying the President a “win?” When you look at the facts, they clearly support that the situation is nothing short of a security and humanitarian crisis.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, in Fiscal Year 2018 almost 400,000 individuals were apprehended illegally crossing the southern border — which is almost seven times larger than the population of Terre Haute. Of those, more than 50,000 were unaccompanied minors who traveled to the United States without any parent or legal guardian. Due to the overwhelming number of illegal immigrants showing up on our southern border, detention centers are full, and hundreds of men, women and children are being released into our country daily while awaiting a future court date. 

Unfortunately, the reality is, once in the country the vast majority of these illegal immigrants disappear and are never seen again. While illegal immigration is not a new phenomenon, a security crisis exists today because the individuals crossing our southern border are dramatically different than those who have illegally entered the country in the past. We are no longer dealing with just people from Mexico and Central America but people from countries all over the world. And yes, suspected terrorists have been apprehended at the border. How many terrorists should be allowed to cross before Democrats consider it an issue that needs to be addressed? After all, there were only 19 terrorists that attacked our country on 9/11.

Not only do illegal immigrants making the journey northward navigate unforgiving terrain in extreme weather conditions, they must also travel through dangerous territory in Mexico. According to U.S. Border Patrol agents, operational control of the border on the Mexican side is largely in the hands of the drug cartels. Several states in Mexico are considered extremely dangerous and have the same travel warning advisory as Afghanistan by the U.S. State Department. These cartels engage in drug trade, and human and sex trafficking. One third of the women coming from Central America have been sexually assaulted on their journey. Approximately fifty people per day are being taken immediately to hospitals for serious medical conditions including tuberculosis, influenza, and other infectious diseases.

While many of these problems are decades old, the humanitarian crisis was exacerbated by the Obama Administration’s policy of catch and release, making it clear to drug cartels, human traffickers, and international terror organizations that nearly anyone crossing the border could stay. The result is our current situation with unaccompanied minors and family units, playing into the hands of the cartels who are exploiting these innocent people and making billions of dollars in the process.

The Tribstar’s editorial is correct, I support President Trump on this issue. However, my support is based upon the facts, my consultation with U.S. Border Patrol agents, the Department of Homeland Security, other law enforcement personnel, and my visit to the region — not blind loyalty as the editorial suggests.

Rep. Larry Bucshon, A Republican, represents Indiana’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Terre Haute.