[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 171 (Wednesday, October 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5075-S5076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SECURITY

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I know that we are all watching what 
is happening with Israel and then also looking at how that affects our 
national security. And in doing this, one of the things we have paid 
attention to is what is happening at our southern border.
  As you look at the numbers there, it really is quite frightening to 
see how people from all across the globe are coming to our southern 
border. Indeed, last year, we had individuals from 176 different 
countries that came to our southern border. Among this number, there 
were hundreds of gang members, there were thousands of convicted 
criminals, and there were individuals of interest--names of interest--
that our Border Patrol watched, and, indeed, there were people on the 
Terrorist Watchlist.
  Last year, in 2023--that is, our fiscal 2023--there were 151 
apprehensions of individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist. Now, this 
number is really quite a dramatic increase. In 2022, there were 98 
individuals on the Terrorist Watchlist who were apprehended at the 
southern border. In 2021, there were 15. And in 2019, there were zero--
not a one.
  Now, as you look at these numbers and as you look at what is 
happening here, it is natural to think: What has caused this uptick in 
terrorists that are coming to our border? If you are going to be honest 
about these numbers, what you would have to do is say: OK, what has 
changed from 2019 to 2021 and 2022 and 2023? And in a sane world--which 
maybe this is not a sane world right now--it would lead you to look at 
this administration's border policies: the ease with which people can 
come to the border, raise their hands, and claim asylum; the way the 
cartels have expanded around the globe as global businesses, indeed, 
moving human trafficking from having been a $500 million-a-year 
business in 2019 to today, this year, $150 billion--``billion'' with a 
B. Those are the numbers that we are dealing with.
  And for terrorists who want to get in this country--and I would say 
it is not a stretch to think they are coming here to do us harm--maybe 
they are saying: It is the easiest way. You can claim asylum. You can 
grab a child and say you are bringing your child to America for a 
better life.
  But the numbers are not my numbers. They are not Republican numbers. 
They are not Senate numbers. These are the numbers that come from the 
Department of Homeland Security. This is what they have logged.
  Now, the other thing that we have to look at is that in fiscal year 
2022, DHS reported that 2.4 million individuals tried to force their 
way across the southern border. And, indeed, we have to say that. And, 
in that, we also have an additional 600,000 ``got-aways.'' Those are 
the ones who can be seen on surveillance but they can't get to.
  Those are pretty hefty numbers, and those are the 2022 numbers. In 
2023, the numbers are even above that. It is impossible to control an 
influx of this magnitude, which means it is also impossible for us to 
control the collective threat that this poses to our country. Because, 
in those ``got-aways,'' how many are terrorists? How many are gang 
members? How many are drug traffickers? How many are sex traffickers? 
How many of those ``got-aways'' are coming to inflict harm on our 
cities, our towns, our communities, and our citizens?
  Now, what has concerned me and what concerns so many Tennesseans--and 
I hear it regularly--last night, I did a cell phone townhall, which I 
enjoy doing and hearing firsthand from Tennesseans, spending an hour 
taking questions, answering their questions. And what really bothers so 
many of them is our President and his administration's unwillingness to 
acknowledge the very existence of the threats that that open border 
brings to us. It jeopardizes our safety and our security and, I would 
say, even the security of our allies.
  We have got a lot of adversaries in this world. We all know that. 
When you look at Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, we know we have got 
adversaries. You look at what is happening with Hamas in Israel, in 
those horrific attacks there. And we can say our adversaries may be 
sadistic, but they are not stupid. They know the border is open.
  They know that we are practicing--this administration is practicing--
a foreign policy of appeasement. And maybe that is the reason that even 
this month what you saw was 2,000 Chinese, 100 Russians, 35 Pakistanis, 
and 30 Iranians coming to our southern border; coming in the country 
illegally; coming, saying they are claiming asylum.
  Does this make us safer? No, it doesn't, when you do not know who is 
coming into this country and their intent.
  Now, Hamas has noted the confusion in our foreign policy and the lack 
of clarity. They saw it when President Biden withdrew troops from the

[[Page S5076]]

CENTCOM area. They saw it. So what we did when we withdrew those troops 
was, effectively, to leave Israel surrounded by their worst enemies.
  They have also noted Biden's record of appeasing hostile regimes. 
When Biden chose not to enforce--and this is important to note--this 
administration, this National Security Director, this President chose 
not to enforce oil sanctions against Iran. They did this knowing this 
would end up benefiting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the terrorist groups that 
are the proxies for Iran.
  The President also knew that $6 billion in a ransom payment would 
free up even more money for terrorist groups, more money for Hamas, 
more money for Hezbollah. That is the hallmark of this administration: 
looking the other way, appeasing Iran, and doing it at cost to the 
American people. Since 2021, President Biden has funneled $730 million 
to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
  Now, this agency, which has been around for decades, what they have 
become is a ferociously anti-Semitic organization that has a long 
history of employing people that--guess what--they are associated with 
Hamas. And Hamas has a history of stealing money from this agency and 
using the agency's facilities to store weapons.
  Now, does that sound like humanitarian aid? Does that sound like 
money going to the purpose for which it was given? Of course not. And 
that is why, in 2018, President Trump halted the funding to the U.N. 
Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
  Well, President Biden comes in and guess what he does. He turned that 
spigot back on, running wide open, even though he knew it was pretty 
much as good as writing a check to Hamas, a terrorist organization. 
And, by the way, we declared and recognized Hamas as a terrorist 
organization. We as a country did this in 1997.
  So, you know, there are things we can do. And I have introduced 
legislation to halt funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for 
Palestine Refugees until Iran is expelled from the U.N. and until we 
investigate their crimes--what they are doing with this money, how it 
leads to death and destruction--because they are giving it to these 
terrorist organizations.
  Iran gives Hamas about $100 million a year--$100 million. They also 
provide them with the weapons and armor and ammo and with supplies and 
training. We also know that Hamas has grabbed aid this week for State 
kits, medical supplies, food. It is not going to the people, the 
Palestinians; it is going to Hamas for their efforts.
  Now, in the first 2 weeks of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol captured 
30 Iranians, as I said a few minutes ago. Now, they were trying to come 
across the southern border; two of them, Terrorist Watchlist. Now, this 
is this month. This is in the last couple of weeks. And we have gotten 
reports of at least two more Iranians on that Terrorist Watchlist that 
have tried to come in.
  So since last Monday alone--Monday a week ago--we have had 19 
Iranians and 17 Syrians that tried to sneak into this country over the 
southern border.
  So I would just ask my colleagues, my Democratic colleagues: Why do 
you think the terrorists--why do you think these people feel so 
emboldened? Whether it is the Iranians, the Pakistanis, the Russians, 
the Chinese, why are they flooding to our border to gain illegal entry 
into our country to evade our immigration laws, to fly under the cloak 
of darkness and get in here on U.S. soil? Why are they emboldened? Does 
this not worry you? Does this not cause you to say it is an imperative 
that we secure this border?
  You know, right now, as we have looked at what is happening around 
the globe and, specifically, as we look at what has happened in Israel, 
you have got 1,400 Israelis who are dead; you have got 31 Americans who 
are dead; you have got individuals from dozens of other countries 
around the globe who are dead, who are injured, who have been taken 
hostage and have faced a horrific circumstance. We cannot let this 
pattern of neglect continue in our country. We cannot continue to make 
our Nation and our citizens vulnerable. We cannot let attacks happen on 
our soil. It is time that we close that southern border.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.

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