<[link removed]>

I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: Two Million Migrants Enter Country While Biden Looks Other Way
<[link removed]>



Our nation is facing many challenges, but none has gone more ignored by
President Biden than the crisis on our southern border. Since the President
took office, border states have been overwhelmed by waves of illegal immigrants
and vast quantities of dangerous drugs. This year alone, Border Patrol agents
have encountered a record two million border crossers and counting – nearly
quadruple the 458,000 that were counted in 2020.

In the face of this worsening catastrophe, the Administration has feigned
ignorance. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Administration’s “border czar,”
recently made the absurd claim that “the border is secure.” Meanwhile President
Biden still has not visited the border in his nearly 21 months in office.
Because of this inaction, some border state governors have resorted to
relocating migrants to cities like New York and Washington, D.C., to get the
Democrats’ attention. Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Biden advisor, made the
governors’ point for them by saying these communities “are not prepared to
receive them,” even though the administration has been distributing migrants to
other jurisdictions across the country for months.

Deadly Drugs Pour Into Our Communities

One deadly symptom of the President’s failure on the southern border is the
sharp increase in U.S. deaths from fentanyl. The drug, which is being imported
by Mexican cartels, is 50 times more potent than heroin. Over the past two
years, fentanyl overdoses have become the leading cause of death among adults
aged 18-45 in the U.S.

The rise of fentanyl deaths is directly linked to the flood of illegal
immigration. Uncontrolled migration keeps the Border Patrol occupied, giving
drug traffickers more of an open lane. Fentanyl seizures nationwide have gone
up by 200 percent, indicating that drug cartels are ramping up their operations.

With so much lawlessness, it is no surprise that violence and crime are also
becoming more commonplace in our border communities. Sheriffs are reporting a
dramatic uptick in the number of migrants found dead while attempting to cross
the border. Recent estimates indicate 10,000 illegal immigrants with prior
criminal records entered the U.S. last year. And from summer 2021 to summer
2022, Border Patrol agents apprehended 78 confirmed terrorists at the border.

Republicans Call for Solutions

Despite more than half of Americans agreeing there's an "invasion" at the
southern border, Democrats have done nothing to address the issue this
Congress. This month, I was heartened to see Republican leaders roll out a
legislative agenda that would make securing the border a top priority if
Republicans win back control of Congress next year. This plan includes
restarting construction on our southern border wall and providing additional
funding for advanced technology to prevent illegal crossings. These are simple
but effective policies I have voted to support through multiple administrations.

Republicans have also pledged to eliminate many of the incentives that have
drawn migrants to the U.S. and emboldened traffickers. We will work to end the
“catch-and-release” policies of the Biden Administration and crack down on
crime along our border. Recently, I joined Senator Marco Rubio in cosponsoring
the Felony Murder for Fentanyl Distribution Act. If enacted, this bill would
allow prosecutors to charge dealers with murder for selling fentanyl if it
results in a death. This would send a loud and clear message that the U.S. will
not tolerate this drug.

There are already many tools at the President’s disposal to tackle the problem
of illegal immigration, but all of them require him to take the catastrophe at
our border seriously. Americans will continue to suffer until he does.



You can click here to share my Op-Ed with your friends on Facebook!
<[link removed]>



Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker






Donate
<[link removed]>
Please mail contributions to P.O. Box 64, Jackson, MS 39205.


Paid for by Wicker for Senate


You can also keep up with Roger Wicker on Twitter
<[link removed]> or Facebook.
<[link removed]>


Don't want to receive our emails anymore? Unsubscribe
<[link removed]>