Senator Roberts Issues Statement on The Border Children Crisis

Statement

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, a longtime advocate for stronger border security and an opponent of amnesty released the following statement today regarding the border children crisis erupting at the southern border: (audio below)

"The joint criminal and humanitarian crisis at our southern border is a tragedy that lies squarely with the President. It is also a tragedy that could have been avoided. Along with many of my conservative colleagues, I have long said that any talk of immigration reform must first start with securing the border. This demand wasn't punitive or mean spirited. It was commonsense. We knew that if we changed the pathway to citizenship before closing the gaping holes in our border security we would have a flood of new illegal immigrants. We were right.

"President Obama didn't listen. He ignored Congress. He ignored the border state Governors. He unilaterally enacted policies emboldening desperate parents to send their children to the United States through human traffickers and drug cartels. Now our southern border has been flooded with children who have illegally entered the country, and our border security apparatus doesn't have the manpower or the resources to cope.

"These children want a better life and are not to blame. The men and women patrolling our borders have been shouting from the rooftops for more help, more resources, and more personnel, they are not to blame.

"The President needs to listen and act on recommendations to secure the border."

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