On Thursday’s PBS NewsHour, co-host Amna Nawaz interviewed Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas about illegal immigration and the subsequent cartels and crime that it has caused.
The conversation quickly became heated when Roy brought up his plan to suspend entry of aliens at borders of the United States, only to be countered by Nawaz who mentioned a moderate Republican who had called it “un-American”.
Roy went on to correct her, explaining that his proposal would require the same kind of expulsions of illegal aliens that Title 42 already authorizes and that every asylum claim would still be able to be claimed. However, they would have to be detained while their claim was being adjudicated.
Things became even more contentious when Roy brought up the smuggling of drugs into the United States, particularly Fentanyl. Nawaz bizarrely claimed that there was “no evidence” of Fentanyl coming over the border, other than it being massively coming over the border.
This conversation highlights just how serious the issue of illegal immigration is, and the dangers that come along with it. While it is important to protect people’s rights and ensure that they have access to a fair asylum process, it is equally important to ensure the safety of the citizens of the United States.
Drug cartels are taking advantage of the influx of illegal immigrants and are smuggling in massive amounts of Fentanyl and other drugs into the country. This has led to an increase in crime, particularly in border states like Texas.
Congressman Roy’s plan to suspend entry of aliens at borders of the United States is one way to address this issue. It would require each inadmissible alien to be denied entry into the country if there is no room to keep them detained until an asylum decision is made. This would help to prevent drug smugglers from taking advantage of the situation, and would also help to protect the safety of US citizens.
It is understandable that Nawaz was argumentative during the interview, as this issue is complex and there are many valid points to be made on both sides. However, it is important that we address the issue of illegal immigration, and the cartels and crime that it has caused, in a responsible and effective way. Congressman Roy’s proposal is a step in the right direction, and should be given serious consideration.
Transcript
AMNA NAWAZ: So you have brought forward an immigration bill that Speaker McCarthy says is one of several bills being considered — our Lisa Desjardins has been reporting on this — says you don’t have the votes for your bill to move forward just yet. But everyone agrees the immigration system is broken — Congress needs to act to fix it — so what is your plan? How can you fix it?
CONGRESSMAN CHIP ROY (R-TX): Yeah, so we have HR 29. It’s a bill I introduced last Congress in the Border Safety and Security Act. Look, the purpose of the bill is pretty simple. There’s been a lot of
hr29 and inadmissible
[the] misinformation out there — a lot of people saying that, “Oh, somehow this bans asylum.” Some have used terms like “unChristianlike” ban on asylum. Let me set the record straight. This legislation does one thing — enforce current law to say that we have to detain for the entirety of the duration of an adjudication of a claim — an asylum claim — or turn away like we do under current Title 42 law during a pandemic. What does that mean in practice? It means you won’t release —
NAWAZ: Congressman, if you don’t mind — I’m sorry to interrupt, but our time is limited. I have the bill in front of me here. The language literally says, “the authority to suspend entry of aliens at borders of the United States,” giving power to the secretary of Homeland Security to essentially bar all entries — which even your fellow Republican, Tony Gonzales, called “un-American.”
CONGRESSMAN ROY: Yeah, well, Tony ought to read the bill and read current law. The fact of the matter is, what you’re doing by giving the secretary the power — not just the power but requiring the secretary to enforce the law to detain, is you’re saying, just like Title 42 — which Tony supports and campaigned on — and which every Republican supports and campaigned on — the same kind of power to say you can’t turn away — if you don’t have detention space — it means you would actually enforce current law.
You would still make asylum claims. Every single asylum claim would still be able to be claimed, but you just have to be detained while that’s being adjudicated. Today, we’re releasing into the United States. That’s causing a flood. That’s causing migrants to die. That’s causing Americans to die with fentanyl pouring into our communities. It’s empowering cartels. And, just yesterday, in our Judiciary Committee hearing, I had somebody from the county I live in — I had Brandon Dunn there because his son died from fentanyl last August.
I’m tired of it. I’m tired of people dying in Texas from fentanyl poisonings. I’m tired of the almost 1,000 dead migrants along the Rio Grande. I’m tired of the 53 migrants who died in a tractor trailer in San Antonio, and I’m tired of Republicans campaigning on securing the border and then running away from the fight. And accusing other Republicans of doing what we think is right to protect migrants and Americans with a common sense bill that enforces the law.
NAWAZ: Obviously, fentanyl is a huge problem, but the majority of fentanyl coming across the border comes at legal ports of entry. Secretary of Homeland Security Ale Mayorkas and I spoke this morning, and he said there is actually no evidence that it’s pouring in between ports of entry.
CONGRESSMAN ROY: Yeah, Border Patrol agents are being overwhelmed. You don’t know what’s coming in between the ports of entry. What I do know is that fentanyl has been pouring into our schools and our communities, and it’s the number one killer for people age 18 to 45.
NAWAZ: Yes, but, Congressman, the people that are coming between the ports of entry — linking them to carrying fentanyl — it’s at — there’s no evidence of that.
CONGRESSMAN ROY: Well, you know what the dad who said in the hearing yesterday — he said, “You know what, it only takes one pill to kill my son, and you can fit one pill in a backpack on one immigrant coming in between the ports of entry.” And, by the way, the Border Patrol agents can’t check every car at the ports of entry.
