Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-5) Thursday delivered a powerful speech on the U.S. House floor urgently calling on President Donald Trump to “declare a national emergency, and to use every other statutory and Constitutional power he possesses to direct the military to secure our southern border, build the wall and protect and save American lives.”

The congressman from north Alabama explained that over 2,000 illegal immigrants were arrested for homicides on American soil the last fiscal year alone. Additionally, Brooks said, “[O]ver 70,000 Americans are killed each year by poisonous drugs, much of which is shipped illegally into America across our porous southern border by illegal aliens, MS-13 and other drug cartels.”

As critical a threat as Brooks views the issue of border security, he lamented that Congress is not currently in a position to solve it.

“[A]n extraordinarily weak and conflicted Congress is of no help. Worse yet, this Congress is a hindrance,” he summarized.

He called “Socialist Democrats” elevating illegal immigrants over American citizens “the worst betrayal of America in history.”

“Inasmuch as socialist Democrats refuse to protect American lives from illegal alien homicides, drug deaths, and America’s porous southern border, I urge President Trump to secure our borders and build the wall under existing law and presidential powers,” Brooks stated.

He then outlined the president’s legal authority to order the military to assist in this “fight,” warning that “a minimum of 50 Americans die each day we delay securing our southern border.”

Brooks added, “While 9/11 was horrible, 9/11 deaths pale in comparison to hundreds of thousands of Americans who are dead, or will die, over the years because of illegal alien homicides and overdoses caused by deadly drugs shipped across America’s porous southern border.”

Full text of Brooks’ speech as follows:

Mr. Speaker, in Fiscal Year 2018, more than 2,000 illegal aliens were apprehended by federal agents for homicides committed on American soil.

In addition, over 70,000 Americans are killed each year by poisonous drugs, much of which is shipped illegally into America across our porous southern border by illegal aliens, MS-13 and other drug cartels!

Stronger border security, which must include wall construction, will save thousands of American lives every year.

Unfortunately, in the worst betrayal of America in history, Socialist Democrats, motivated by a lust for political power, selfishly elevate illegal aliens over American citizens because illegal alien families overwhelming rely on welfare, thus making them highly reliable Democrat voters who elect Socialist Democrat politicians by diluting the votes of American citizens.

Inasmuch as Socialist Democrats refuse to protect American lives from illegal alien homicides, drug deaths, and America’s porous southern border, I urge President Trump to secure our borders and build the wall under existing law and presidential powers.

For example, Title 10, Section 284 of the United States Code empowers presidents to order America’s military to assist federal drug and law enforcement agencies in the fight against drug and transnational organized crime.

Pursuant to this law, the president may deploy active military and National Guard troops to:

• Establish and operate bases of operations;
• Detect and monitor surface traffic in Mexico and in the United States within 25 miles of the southern border;
• Construct roads, fences, barriers and lighting to block drug smuggling corridors across the southern border; and
• Use aerial and ground reconnaissance.

For emphasis, this federal law empowers President Trump to order America’s military to construct walls and barriers to block drug smuggling corridors, with the side benefit of stopping illegal aliens.

Mr. Speaker, another example of existing presidential authority is the power to declare a national emergency and divert Congressionally appropriated money to border security and wall construction.

America invaded Iraq and Afghanistan based on 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed roughly 3,000 people. In response, America spent trillions of dollars and lost thousands of lives in military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While 9/11 was horrible, 9/11 deaths pale in comparison to hundreds of thousands of Americans who are dead, or will die, over the years because of illegal alien homicides and overdoses caused by deadly drugs shipped across America’s porous southern border.

For emphasis, a minimum of 50 Americans die each day we delay securing our southern border! That is a minimum of 15,000 dead Americans each year!

That death rate easily justifies a presidential declaration of a national emergency. In fact, not one of the 58 national emergencies declared by a president since 1979 is supported by a worse death rate or threat to America and American lives!

Mr. Speaker, an extraordinarily weak and conflicted Congress is of no help. Worse yet, this Congress is a hindrance.

As such, I urge President Trump, as America’s commander in chief, to invoke Title 10, United States Code Section 284, to declare a national emergency, and to use every other statutory and Constitutional power he possesses to direct the military to secure our southern border, build the wall, and protect and save American lives!

America’s military protects the borders of, and lives in, South Korea, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Europe, and many other countries.

America, and Americans, deserve no less protection!

Update:

After Brooks’ speech, the White House on Thursday afternoon announced that Trump will indeed declare a national emergency and “take other executive action” to help secure the border. The president also will sign the border security and funding deal negotiated largely by Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn