Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege to meet with small business owners, farmers, educators, and families across South Alabama. Time and time again their number one concern is the chaos down at our Southern Border. 

I proudly supported the passage of the strongest border security bill that has ever passed Congress. H.R. 2, The Secure the Border Act of 2023, restarts construction of the border wall, increases the number of border patrol agents, and strengthens current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking. Without a doubt, H.R. 2 strengthens the security of our Southern border. This bill passed the House, with my strong support, on May 11, 2023, and it now lies in the hands of the Senate. 

I also supported the House version of the Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. This bill allocates $2.1 billion to finish the wall at our southern border. It also allows for $496 million for 22,000 new border patrol agents, which is a record high. We must address this crisis and protect all Americans, while also cutting wasteful government spending. Also of importance is the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). I supported the NDAA when it passed the House because it requires the Department of Defense to use the material they already have to build the wall and fully funds the National Guard mission at our Southern Border. 

I’ve supported impeaching Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who has utterly failed to do his job to keep this nation’s borders secure. Under his watch we have had at least 300 people from the FBI’s terrorist watch list come into our country undocumented, not to mention the drugs and human trafficking flowing across every single day. Secretary Mayorkas took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution when he was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security, and he has completely failed to fulfill his oath. Thankfully, he was impeached by the House on Feb. 13, but this fight is far from over. The Senate must quickly vote to convict him and remove him from office.

I also visited numerous countries in South America to talk to their law enforcement and officials on the ground there to get a better idea of what the root of this problem is. We need to stop people before they even get here. 

Securing the border and ensuring the safety and security of all Americans is my top priorities, and I can promise you, I will not stop fighting until we get this crisis under control.

Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.