Congress: Get Serious About Immigration and Border Security

Statement

Greetings,

For months, Congress has been discussing solutions to the current problems in our unsustainable immigration policy, but to little effect. I've heard outrage from Kansans across the region about the federal government's inability to fix this problem.

I agree with you. This has been an outrage. The federal government has a basic responsibility to protect our borders and enforce our laws--and it has failed on both counts. This has led not only to an influx of illegal immigrants, but also of weapons, narcotics, and crime. We must take action to ensure that our nation's borders are secure and our citizens are safe.

This is not just an immigration issue--this is a national security issue. As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I have heard many times about the threats to the homeland that result from our porous borders. It is absolutely imperative that we return law and order to our borders. Put another way, our immigration policy today makes it almost impossible to come here legally and too easy to come here illegally--we must reverse both.

Therefore, I am supporting these principles for a robust border security reform bill:

-Build a comprehensive double-layer physical fence along the U.S.-Mexico border;

-Gain operational security of the U.S.-Canada border using basic, inexpensive technology and surveillance techniques;

-Crack down on the smuggling routes used to transport illegal immigrants, narcotics and weapons; and

-Establish a reliable visa overstay prevention enforcement regime (as many as 30% of all persons in the United States illegally came here on a legal visa and simply failed to leave America).

Instead of fixing the problems facing our borders, the Senate's recently passed "comprehensive immigration bill" focused solely on amnesty for illegal immigrants. That is the wrong approach. It simply abdicates Washington's responsibility to the American people. I will continue to oppose the Senate bill.

Fortunately, the House of Representatives is taking a very different approach focused on border security and internal enforcement. We can return to our nation's rich history of allowing those who want to come here and be part of the American dream through lawful means as all of our ancestors have done once we have regained our sovereignty. This is the right approach. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to do the American people proud and pass bills that fix the real problems facing our country.

Sincerely,

Mike Pompeo
Member of Congress

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