Homeland Security and Illegal Immigration
The security of our homeland is under constant threat by the crisis at the southern border, heightened by our broken immigration system, and exacerbated by the flow of illicit narcotics into our communities.
First and foremost, we must regain operational control of our border. Since January 2021, more than 4.6 million individuals have been apprehended attempting to illegally enter the United States through the southern 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.
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 12, 2023, I reintroduced the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 319) 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 118th Congress to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration:
- HELD Act (H.R. 136) – 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.
- The Security First Act (H.R. 163) – I am a cosponsor of this legislation which provides additional resources for law enforcement through Operation Stonegarden, a grant program that allows local law enforcement to assist border patrol efforts at the southern border.
- The STOP Fentanyl Act (H.R. 355) – I am a cosponsor of this legislation which puts sentencing for fentanyl-related offenses on par with other narcotics, such as methamphetamine.
- 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.
- I fully support our Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who are the first line of defense at our ports of entry. I believe we must ensure CBP is adequately funded and that our officers have the appropriate technology to keep themselves and our communities safe.