Crime, drugs, fewer jobs, and even terrorism are problems that fester when the federal government doesn’t take border security seriously. Heaven knows, we Arizonans understand that better than anyone in America.
Thankfully, President Trump’s proactive approach to the border is making Arizona and America safe again by protecting us from South and Central American law-breakers.
Border arrests in May topped 50,000. It was the third month in a row we reached such high apprehensions, which suggests that while the flow of illegal aliens into our country is still very much a problem, the rule of law is finally being restored.
[Also read: Top border official expects slight downturn in apprehensions in June following a turbulent spring]
Border security is a particular concern for Arizona. Places such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. have to deal with MS-13, but Arizona is fighting the Sinaloa Cartel, a ruthless criminal organization that makes MS-13 look like child’s play.
One Drug Enforcement Administration agent told a local PBS affiliate in January that MS-13 is on the “lower, retail end of the drug trade” compared to the Sinaloa Cartel. The cartel is “the biggest, most violent and nastiest organization” law enforcement deals with, the agent said.
This is why the president’s efforts to defend the border are vital. As he took office, two of Trump’s first executive orders were targeted at securing the border and protecting Americans from foreign criminal elements.
The executive order, titled “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” (the third executive order Trump issued), called for the construction of a border wall to begin and demanded “executive departments and agencies … deploy all lawful means to secure the Nation’s southern border, to prevent further illegal immigration … and to repatriate illegal aliens swiftly, consistently, and humanely.”
Trump’s fourth executive order (“Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States”) prioritized the removal of criminal illegal aliens and introduced measures to punish the liberal sanctuary jurisdictions that are all too willing to sacrifice American lives on the altar of political correctness.
In February 2017, the president issued an executive order titled “Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking,” designed to beef up federal law enforcement efforts to take down cartels.
Criminal violence isn’t the only problem that comes with lax border security. The massive flow of cheap, illegal labor hurts America’s job market, and the flow of drugs across the border is killing our citizens. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, for instance, between June 15, 2017 and May 31, 2018, there were 1,280 suspected opioid deaths and 8,205 suspected opioid overdoses.
While the Democrats have obstructed every effort to resolve our illegal immigration plight, Trump isn’t waiting for them, because he understands what’s at stake. He’s helping us to ensure that our families and neighbors can find good-paying jobs free from the threat of illegal immigrant labor, and stop the flow of illegal drugs across our borders, which is fundamental to the survival and growth of our communities.
Of course, one of the great unknowns about the Trump administration’s border security policies is that the wall is already being built now. Though congressional Democrats have blocked the wall, President Trump did secure the initial funding for its construction.
Across hundreds of miles of border, the administration is overseeing the building of walls and impenetrable barriers that represent an initial effort to bring relief to beleaguered communities across the southern border.
Thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership, we are finally restoring sanity to our approach to border security and making America safe again through every proactive measure possible.
Jan Brewer is the former governor of Arizona and a member of the Donald J. Trump for President Inc. Advisory Board.
