Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the senior senator from Tennessee and a member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, toured the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday and observed the physical He told Breitbart News that he found there were barriers. Slow down the flow of immigrants into the country.
Blackburn said he previously visited Eagle Pass, Texas, in early 2023, but it looks much different than the last time he visited, with Texans using things like buoys on the Rio Grande and shipping containers at the water’s edge. I discovered the situation. Block the flow of migrants with fences and razor wire.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Texas) inspects a razor wire barrier at Shelby Park on the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy of the office of Sen. Marsha Blackburn)
“I took time to go back to Eagle Pass. If you remember, I went to Eagle Pass last year in January of 2023,” Blackburn told Breitbart News. Told. “Eagle Pass was kind of a hotspot. What the state of Texas did was they started putting up barriers. They put buoys in the river. They put containers on the water’s edge to protect the border. In fact, we have razor wire and fences to protect the border. There are a lot fewer crossings. Eagle Pass used to have thousands of people coming across the border, but now it’s down to a few dozen. I was actually out in the water and saw about 12 people trying to cross.”
Related video — Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Senate Republican details Biden border crisis:
Mr. Blackburn said he has two important bills in the U.S. Senate that will help address these issues. The first, called the “Container Act,” would allow states and local governments to erect such barriers in the event of a federal government failure, as is currently occurring under the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden. Thing. The second, called the CLEAR Act, sends a message from the United States to the world that immigrants who enter the country illegally are not welcome and will be deported.
“This shows why we need to pass my Container Act, which allows states and local governments to erect temporary barriers if the federal government fails to do its job,” Blackburn said. Stated. “I think that’s also why we need to pass clear legislation that sends the message, ‘Don’t come,’ and ‘If you do something bad, we’ll send you home right away.’
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Texas) meets with Texas DPS officials at the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy of the Office of Senator Marsha Blackburn)
While Eagle Pass has been successful in using these barriers to deter migrants, Blackburn said migrants are bypassing the country by going to other places like El Paso, Arizona and California. He said he is doing so. He pointed to the wild video released earlier this month showing migrants pouring into the country in El Paso, and said other states are pushing back against Texas as the state fights back on its own without support from Washington. It noted that officials say it serves as an entry route.
“You saw that group in El Paso. I heard that there was an increase in Arizona,” Blackburn said. “We’re seeing an uptick in California, so people are looking for places to cross that don’t have those barriers, which again explains why it’s so important to secure our southern border. ”
🚨Breaking News: Hundreds of illegal aliens overwhelm Texas military in El Paso, storm border pic.twitter.com/3ZPH3hwG6K
— Unlimited Els (@unlimited_ls) March 21, 2024
But the big picture here is that Blackburn says a physical barrier, or wall, is in place at the border as a potential spring and summer migrant surge looms. .
“Again, as you say, the wall works,” Mr. Blackburn said. “We know that. Today, one Texas DPS official said, ‘Look, we’ve been saying for years we need physical barriers, we need better technology. “Because cartels are definitely using technology to keep tabs on local and federal law enforcement, and of course we need to do that by putting more police officers and agents on the ground.” please. ”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Texas) looks at a Rio Grande buoy on the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, Texas, on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy of Sen. Marsha Blackburn)
Meanwhile, Biden has refused to take necessary actions to secure the border. Blackburn pointed to more than 90 executive actions Biden took in his first 100 days to open the border, including eliminating Remain in Mexico and reinstating catch-and-release. He said Biden is less interested in actually solving the problem, and instead of stopping immigration and bringing immigrants home, he is pushing for more immigration to keep large numbers of immigrants in blue cities overwhelmed by immigration. He said he was interested in sending funds and covering up the problem.
“Of course Joe Biden could take some action and undo the 94 presidential actions he took in his first 100 days. He could do that,” Blackburn said. “But he has chosen not to do that. His border policy is open borders, that is his border policy. We know that he will not take any action that would secure the border. He is looking for ways to alleviate some of the problems of having illegal immigrants in the country, such as, “Illegal aliens are coming to us, so we Send more money to cities in blue. City. But that’s not the answer. The answer is what I heard today from Texas DPS. Barriers work, so we need physical barriers. We need better technology. We 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 the Container Act, which gives states and local governments the power to police the border when the federal government won’t, and which gives illegal aliens who commit crimes That’s why we need to deport them and make sure they don’t secure our borders. will remain in the country. ”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Texas) meets with local ranchers and a sheriff at the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on March 26, 2024. (Courtesy of the office of Sen. Marsha Blackburn)
Additionally, Blackburn said Texas law enforcement officials told him they had seized tens of thousands of pounds of illegal drugs, including marijuana, methamphetamine and fentanyl. She said the fentanyl seizures they made were enough fentanyl to kill every American in the United States.
“Texas DPS actually had information on that and what they’ve done since they started Operation Lone Star is 31,000 pounds of marijuana, 14,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,000 pounds of fentanyl. We’ve arrested people like that. Think about it,” Blackburn said. “That’s enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the United States. It’s important that we secure our borders and be able to focus on our jobs.”
But perhaps the most important part of her trip was hearing from local ranchers, farmers, law enforcement and business owners who say they don’t feel heard by the White House. That’s probably true.
“I had lunch with ranchers and farmers, and of course there was some local law enforcement there, as well as some businessmen near the border,” Blackburn said. “They feel like the White House isn’t listening to them. If the White House was listening to them, it would be helping them secure farms and ranches. Now they find themselves, their homes, property, farms, barns and farm equipment on the front line. Homes, barns and stores are being broken into. They have vehicles on the run, so They would really appreciate it if the White House just said, “What do we need to do to secure this border?” I think the best thing to do is to build physical barriers. ”
