WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-06) spoke on the House Floor Tuesday to emphasize the need for increased border security and to highlight the real-world consequences of the growing number of undocumented immigrants entering the United States.
The remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
Madam Speaker, about 20 miles outside my district, in Franklin, Tennessee, a 63-year-old is facing some of the worst charges on the books, including assault and rape. And it breaks my heart to say these crimes involved children as young as nine years old. Investigators have identified several victims, but they’re asking more to come forward as some of these crimes go back more than a decade. Police say the accused predator targeted playgrounds and lured young boys under the guise that he was a soccer coach recruiting for his team.
Days after this news broke, families learned the man accused of violating their community lived there for 20 years -- but had no business being there. The accused man is an illegal immigrant. I signed onto a letter, led by Senator Marsha Blackburn, asking the Department of Homeland Security Secretary several questions, including why this man was able to go under the radar for so long. This is a very grim example of the very real consequences open border policies are having on state after state, county after county.
Nearly 20,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the border since this fiscal year started last October. That’s already more than last fiscal year’s total and we still have more than two months left in this one! Furthermore, since October 1, Customs and Border Protection officials have caught more than 125 people trying to cross the southern border who are on the terrorist watchlist.
No one in this body should glaze over a number like that. Let me repeat. 125 possible terrorists have tried to enter our country since last October. That’s more than Fiscal Years 2017, 18, 19, 20, and 21 combined. How many managed to make it across that we don’t know about? We know more than 1.5 million illegal immigrants have successfully evaded law enforcement since this administration took over the border.
And yet, in May, the Biden Administration announced it would be releasing a flood of immigrants into the United States with no way of keeping track of them. Instead of getting a grip on this humanitarian and national security crisis, this president and his administration have been busy fighting Title 42 and the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy. To be fair, the president did make his first trip to the border of his 50-year political career – ever – in January.
As we continue to see records being broken, crime soaring, fentanyl popping up in all corners of our country, and overdose deaths rising, Madam Speaker, I rise today to once again implore President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to do their constitutional duty and secure our southern border.
You can watch the full speech here.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://johnrose.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-rose-demands-answers-dhs-illegal-immigrant-facing-multiple-assault-rape