[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 192 (Tuesday, November 2, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6075-H6076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM A POROUS BORDER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, before my commentary on this disastrous 
border self-inflicted by this administration, I want to speak on behalf 
of my fellow Texans.
  I think I can say this with confidence: They welcome the immigrant, 
the God-fearing, freedom-loving immigrant that wants to make this 
country their home, pledge allegiance to our flag, embrace our ideals 
and improve even our way of life.
  Mr. Speaker, we welcome the immigrant, but only if they respect our 
laws, our sovereignty, and the safety of our fellow Americans.
  Since January, this administration has created an unprecedented and 
unmitigated crisis at our southern border. They have repealed every 
effective measure that was in place to stop the flow of illegal 
Americans and to secure the border. They have willfully disregarded the 
Constitution and its mandate on the people's government to provide for 
the common defense.
  Our President has failed to faithfully uphold the law, to fulfill the 
sacred duty to enforce the laws of the land. They have completely ceded 
control of our border and the sovereignty of this great country to 
paramilitary drug cartels. They have enriched, empowered, these narco 
terrorists at the expense of the vulnerable migrants who take this 
dangerous trek and, most importantly, at the expense of the American 
people, our families, our children.

[[Page H6076]]

  Mr. Speaker, this administration has intentionally opened up our 
border to a flood of human trafficking, unprecedented drug smuggling, 
and a record amount of crime and gang activity. There is no apology for 
it. There is no recognition of it. There seems to be no sign of 
changing the posture and policies of this administration. There is no 
accountability. They are not committed to detaining and deporting.
  Mr. Speaker, they are catching and releasing, there is lawlessness, 
chaos, and a border beyond recognition. This central tenet of catch and 
release has not only rewarded illegal immigration, but it has dispersed 
this crisis beyond our border to every State in the United States, 
making every State a border State.
  Since March, 160,000 illegal immigrants have been released into the 
United States. This, in addition to almost a half a million got-aways.
  Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that folks who were being detained, 
illegal immigrants, were being released into neighborhoods in 
communities in my district. They couldn't tell me how many. They 
couldn't tell me where they came from. They couldn't tell me who was 
going to follow up, when they would show up for court. They had 
nothing. They could confirm, however, that there were people being 
released, illegal immigrants, into our communities who were COVID 
positive, and some who had criminal records. Nobody notified. Not me, 
not our governor, no local officials--just releasing folks.
  Meanwhile, this administration is mandating and insisting on vaccines 
and public health protocols, but letting folks just stream into our 
country. They say one of every five illegal immigrants crossing is 
COVID positive, and so there is this public safety threat of another 
surge inundating our hospitals while they force their policies on the 
American people in this regard. Shameful.
  And there has been an exponential increase in criminal aliens 
apprehended at the border. These are folks who have committed a crime 
on our soil who have crossed back over--four times as much 
criminal activity, criminal aliens.

  Mr. Speaker, the numbers are startling: 348 percent increase in 
criminal aliens convicted of DUIs coming back to the United States; 454 
percent increase in criminal aliens convicted of drug possession; 477 
percent increase in robbery, theft, burglary; over 200 percent increase 
in sex offenses, and over 1600 percent increase in criminal aliens who 
have come over to our country and committed murder.

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