U.S. Rep. Ron Barber's Statement After President Says He Will Seek Funding to Address Influx of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

Statement

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber today issued the following statement after the president said he will ask Congress for more than $2 billion to respond to the influx of immigrants, many of them unaccompanied children, illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border:

For far too long, Southern Arizonans have had to contend with drug smugglers and people entering the United States illegally. Border Patrol agents are dedicated to securing our borders and keeping the people I represent safe on their land and in their homes. The recent influx of unaccompanied children entering our country illegally has made a difficult mission even more challenging.

The safety and security of Southern Arizona communities must be given the highest priority as we implement plans to stop the flow of unaccompanied children and others coming to the United States illegally. As I've said since day one, we must do this by putting more Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement personnel at the border. Our Border Patrol agents must no longer be tasked with providing childcare to unaccompanied immigrant children. They must be returned to their job of securing the border.

Our state must not bear the expense of this failure of leadership and inaction in Washington. Arizona, towns, cities and agencies must be reimbursed for the services they provide because the federal government has failed to secure our border.

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