Congress should build President Donald Trump’s wall on the Mexican border and punish officials who create sanctuary cities, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn said.
Blackburn (R-TN-07) made her case on immigration in an editorial Monday in The Hill. She is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker, who is retiring. Her Democratic opponent is former Gov. Phil Bredesen.
Here is an excerpt of her editorial:
“Every state is a border state and every town is a border town. That is what many believe to be happening due to the illegal entry taking place on our nation’s southern border. What we as Tennesseans have watched happen over the past decade is a problem that has spiraled out of control for local law enforcement and elected officials. It is due to the federal government not doing its job to enforce existing federal immigration law.
The Obama administration pushed open-border policies, backed away from securing the border and pushed sanctuary city policies that have made us less safe. …
“Tennesseans ask me every day what we should do to get the issues that come from illegal immigration into our country under control. The first steps we should take are to build the wall, end chain migration, and end the visa lottery in favor of a merit-based system. There are some other constructive steps that we can take as well. Congress should penalize governments and government officials who refuse to follow federal law by allowing their cities to become sanctuaries for illegal aliens. If you choose to disobey the law, you should not receive federal law enforcement funding. This is a solution I have continued to put forth for over 10 years. …
“The issue of illegal immigration provides a clear policy difference between me and my opponent. As governor, Phil Bredesen adopted policies that encouraged illegal immigration, including issuing legal driving certificates to illegal immigrants. I fought against this initiative because it openly rewarded illegal immigration and undermined the hard work of those who entered our country lawfully. Moreover, it made Tennessee a magnet for illegal immigrants. Giving driver’s certificates to illegals is the first step toward enabling sanctuary cities, abolishing ICE, and giving amnesty to those who have broken the law.”
The full editorial is available here.
Blackburn is not the only politician calling for increased security on the Mexican border — that country’s next leader is concerned about the issue.
Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in July announced a plan to create a specialized border force to combat illegal immigration across Mexico’s borders, according to his hand-picked security chief.
The new force is aimed at stanching the flow of illegal immigrants and contraband from Central America and will also be deployed to Mexico’s northern border, Alfonso Durazo said, according to Bloomberg. It is part of Lopez Obrador’s broader strategy against regional violence, corruption and poverty.
“We’re going to create a border police force that will be highly specialized,” said Durazo, who is set to become Mexico’s public security minister when Lopez Obrador takes office in December. “They need to apply the law” against illicit migration and human trafficking, he added.
