Natalie Gonnella
Much like the President's recent mockery of the GOP's border concerns, on Sunday the Washington Post also accused Republicans like Representative Lamar Alexander of exaggerating about the lack of security along the US-Mexico border.
Citing clear statistics from the nonpartisan GAO report, Alexander today hit back at the Post's assessment, and at the Obama administration's continued disregard for securing the nation's borders.
Here's a look at what the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee had to say:
The Obama administration — and apparently The Post — pretend the border is more secure than ever because apprehensions are down. But apprehensions are down for two reasons: Our sluggish economy and the limited ability of the Border Patrol to apprehend illegal immigrants.
...But 7 million individuals work illegally in the United States, and the administration hasn’t done much to stop them. In the past two years, work-site enforcement activities have plummeted by 70 percent. If the administration enforced immigration laws, we could open up millions of jobs for unemployed legal workers. And it would send the signal that we take our immigration laws seriously. This would deter illegal immigration.
Alexander adds that:
...Because of the administration’s selective enforcement of immigration law, only 44 percent of the southern border is under the operational control of the Border Patrol, according to the GAO. There is no substitute for improved border security coupled with increased interior enforcement of drug and immigration laws if we want to secure our border.
Congressman Alexander full letter to WaPo Editors is available to view here.
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