Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., on Tuesday said immigration has now turned into a “national security crisis” for America.

“This is a tremendously important crisis, as I would call it, not just an immigration crisis, but a national security crisis,” Perdue said in a hearing on families who have been victims of violence from illegal immigrants. “There are only six reasons why 13 colonies got together in the first place, six reasons, and one of those was to provide for the national defense.”