Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Monday participated in a White House panel on border security and was a special guest afterward at President Donald Trump’s ceremony honoring the brave men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Marshall accepted the invitation to be a part of this extremely select, six-person White House panel discussion to address border security and how the crime associated with border-related drug trafficking and illegal immigration affects the people of Alabama.
“Due to our state’s proximity to Atlanta, a major distribution point for drugs, and to Texas, a border state, Alabama has become a prime transit point for drug trafficking,” Marshall explained in a press release. “We see marijuana, cocaine, meth, and now illicit fentanyl coming into our state as a result.”
He continued, “The drug trade brings dangerous and violent illegal aliens into Alabama. Just this summer, our state was rocked by the brutal murder of a special needs 13-year-old girl— killed by affiliates of the Mexican drug cartel. I am grateful to the president and the White House for allowing me to share the observations of Alabama law enforcement and our citizens.”
Marshall also praised the White House for highlighting, during a special ceremony and speech by President Trump, the contributions of America’s ICE and CBP agents as they uphold their duty to enforce the law and safeguard the nation’s security, even while being under fire by liberal advocacy groups as part of the immigration policy debate.
“As the chief law enforcement officer of the State of Alabama, I want to thank each member of ICE and CBP for your courage and your loyalty to enforcing the laws of this country in the face of irresponsible rhetoric and meritless attacks,” Marshall said. “The people of Alabama thank you, too. The work of ICE and CBP has a direct connection to the safety of the citizenry that extends far beyond those states that are on the border.”
He added, “A shared mission and strong partnership between state and local law enforcement and the brave agents of ICE and CBP are in the best interest of public safety and I am pleased with the coordination that I see in Alabama. But in the immigration debate, public safety is not the only threat we must contend with. The rule of law — America’s bedrock principle — is under attack as well.”
Marshall singled out President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for their staunch support of border security and the rule of law while reflecting on some of the Obama administration’s past missteps.
“Under the previous administration, amnesty programs were unconstitutionally initiated by executive fiat and without any action from Congress,” Marshall emphasized. “The former United States Attorney General turned a blind eye to sanctuary cities that brazenly refused to work with ICE and CBP.”
“The [Obama] Justice Department also failed to cooperate with Congress when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in relation to a botched gun-walking operation,” Marshall outlined.
He continued, “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Sessions and Secretary Nielsen, we have finally begun to see the pendulum swing in the other direction. But the work is far from over. We must secure our borders and we must restore respect for the rule of law throughout this country. The men and women of ICE and CBP are critical to securing our borders, and Attorneys General—I believe—must play a major role in restoring the rule of law.”
Watch the video below for Marshall’s additional comments on border security as part of the White House panel discussion at the 11:22, 27:16 and 45: 15-minute marks.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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