At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday, Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-3) slammed Democrats for their politicized opposition to physical border barriers since 2016 and recent calls to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Rogers began by listing border facts from the fiscal year 2018, which included the total weight in pounds of illegal drugs that were seized by law enforcement.
“In fiscal year 2018, CBP seized 895,000 pounds of drugs at the border. That includes approximately 2,100 pounds of fentanyl. To put that in perspective, just two milligrams of fentanyl are a fatal dose to the person, according to the DEA. 2,135 pounds of fentanyl represents a lethal dose for 484 million people, more than the entire population of our country,” Rogers stated. “If that isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is.”
He added, “In contrary to what some say, CBP actually seizes more pounds of drugs between ports of entry than at ports of entry. Since FY 2012, CBP has seized more than 11 million pounds of drugs between ports of entry compared to only four million pounds at ports of entry.”
Rogers also outlined how illegal drugs and gangs can have a negative impact on the American people and the success of a few barriers that have been established along the border.
“Mr. Chairman, we have to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and community-destroying drugs across our southwest border. We must put an end to the transnational gangs that profit off these illegal enterprises and bring crime to the American streets. The only way to do that is to secure the border. We need an all of the above approach. Border security that includes manpower, 21st-century technology, and barriers. With this approach, we will deter human trafficking, human smugglers, and others from crossing hundreds of miles of open desert with innocent children and putting those children in grave danger. Fewer drugs will make it into the united states, saving lives and making communities safer.”
“We know an all of the above approach works. In the areas where we have built a wall system, illegal traffic has plummeted. In San Diego, illegal traffic dropped 92 percent after the barrier was erected. In El Paso, illegal traffic dropped 95 percent. And in Tuscon, illegal traffic dropped 90 percent. Let’s build on this success”
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Rogers then called out the hypocrisy of the Democrats’ opposition to stronger border security.
“Border security and keeping Americans safe used to be priorities for both our parties,” Rogers said. “I’ve been on this committee since, just like the chairman said, since inception. We never argued about whether barriers worked until Donald Trump wanted them. This is not rocket science.”
In the hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also confirmed the situation at the United States – Mexico border “is an emergency.”
“I can no longer assure you of who is coming into this country,” she added. “That is a direct national security threat.”
Kyle Morris also contributes daily to Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @RealKyleMorris.
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