Homeland Security and Illegal Immigration
The security of our homeland is under threat if we fail to secure the southern border and fix our broken immigration system.
First and foremost, we must have control of our border. America is a nation of immigrants, but we are a beacon of hope throughout the world because we respect and enforce the rule of law.
I regularly visit the southern border to see the situation on the ground firsthand, meet with border patrol officials and community leaders in the impacted regions, and understand what resources are needed to combat this crisis. I believe we should complete the fence along our southern border with a physical barrier where possible, and state-of-the-art technology where it is not.
In 1996, I authored the legislation which later became the E-Verify program, the only tool available for employers to voluntarily check the legal status of newly hired employees. Over the years, I have worked steadily to expand E-Verify and make It mandatory for all employers in the U.S. On January 9, 2025, I reintroduced the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 251) which would do just that and help cut off the job magnet that draws people here illegally.
I also believe that to truly secure our homeland, we must stop the flow of illicit narcotics into our communities. Fentanyl, in particular, is especially deadly and is being trafficked across our southern border every day. Riverside County loses more than one person a day, on average, from a fentanyl-related poisoning. This is why I helped launch and am a co-chair of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus which works to educate the community on the dangers of fentanyl, understand the pipelines that bring it into the United States, and stop its proliferation into our neighborhoods.
My record on border security, ensuring a legal workforce, and rejecting amnesty is second to none in Congress and I will continue to fight for the integrity of our borders and the security of our homeland as your Representative in Congress. Below are some of the initiatives I support in the 119th Congress to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration:
- HELD Act (H.R. 1821) – I am the sponsor of the Help Ensuring Legal Detainers (HELD) Act which would require local municipalities to respond to an ICE detainer issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security promptly to arrange for custody of the illegal immigrant.
- Federal Working Animal Protection Act (H.R. 4638) - I am the sponsor of H.R. 4638, which was approved by the House of Representatives on March 19, 2026. The bill would make the assault of an animal used by federal law enforcement a deportable offense under Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would also make applicants with such offenses on their record inadmissible to the U.S. under Section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- The Deport Alien Gang Members Act (H.R. 175) - I am a cosponsor of H.R. 175, which would bar non citizens who are members of criminal gangs or those who help gang members carry out illegal activities from entering the country, and the bill would make those already here already deportable. It also requires that such individuals be detained while their cases are pending and bars them from seeking asylum, temporary protected status, or other forms of immigration relief, while also giving the Department of Homeland Security a formal process to officially designate groups as criminal gangs.
- The Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act of 2025 (H.R. 551) - I am a cosponsor of H.R. 551, which would make the Migrant Protection Protocols, more commonly known as the Remain in Mexico Policy, mandatory. The bill would codify the Trump Admin policy, and it would prevent future administrations from revoking it.
- Safeguarding American Property Act (H.R. 2708) - I am a cosponsor of H.R. 2708, which would require ICE to issue detainers and take into custody illegal aliens who have been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of trespassing, vandalism, and arson.
- The HALT Fentanyl Act (H.R. 27) – I voted to pass this legislation which puts sentencing for fentanyl-related offenses on par with other narcotics, such as methamphetamine.