Since the government reopened, the Democrats have sent unmistakably clear signals that they have absolutely no interest in building a border wall, fence, barrier, or anything else. President Trump is left with virtually no option other than to immediately use his authority under Title 10 of the United States Code. I urge him to declare that our unfenced areas of the southern border are active drug trafficking corridors, which will allow him to use available funds to build walls, fences, roads, lights, detention facilities, and other necessary infrastructure.
The president is right when he says, “A nation without borders is no nation at all.” There are many, including the professional agents on our border who agree with, and support, the president’s efforts to build a border wall.
Further, we must eliminate the incentives for people to illegally come and stay in our great country. Any amnesty given to people who are illegally in this country, including the DACA population, is an incentive to come and stay illegally in this country.
Continuing President Barack Obama’s unconstitutional executive order that prevents deportation of people illegally in this country, including DACA, is amnesty. Therefore, we should not trade amnesty, including DACA, for a border wall.
The Democrats have failed to join Republicans in securing our border, but instead have supported sanctuary city and state policies and encouraged amnesty. Democrats continue to obstruct funding and construction of a border wall.
Democrats claim that we can secure our border with technological tools such as cameras, sensors, and drones while they criticize an actual, physical wall as being unnecessary and immoral.
Democrats are wrong. Walls will help our Border Patrol agents catch drug and human traffickers.
The southern border is an active drug trafficking corridor. I suspect that Democrats will continue to prevent the construction of a border wall that will reduce the smuggling of drugs into the U.S. Waiting until Feb. 15 will allow three more weeks of illegal border crossings, encourage the proliferation and influx of caravans, and delay the building of a border wall.
I encourage President Trump to immediately use his statutory authority under Title 10 of the United States Code to declare the southern border a drug trafficking corridor and access military construction funds to build a wall, roads, lighting, and other necessary infrastructure as the statute allows.
Don’t wait until Democrats shut the government down again. Do it now.
Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican, represents Arizona’s 5th District in Congress. You can follow him on Twitter: @RepAndyBiggsAZ.
