A lawmaker from Tennessee has claimed that some traffickers are stealing from welfare programs.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has presented the “Stop Taxpayer Funding of Traffickers Act” because she believes it is time for the United States to stop providing financial support to smugglers and people traffickers.
According to Blackburn, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, and Republican Senator Katie Boyd Britt of Alabama recently visited the southern border and were shocked by what they saw. Blackburn said he witnessed a family of four (mother, two little children, and a grandma) brave the cold to cross the Rio Grande, and Blackburn questioned their decision to put their kids in danger in this way.
The email sent to the Biden administration for comment still needs to be answered. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas informed reporters in January that the DHS has created a smartphone app via which illegal aliens could file asylum applications before even reaching the U.S. border. The app aimed to keep kids away from illicit crossings and smugglers.
Mayorkas explained at the time that the goal was for asylum seekers to utilize the app, arrive at a port of entry in a controlled environment, and file their claim there.
Blackburn claims the scheme has failed because too many people have taken advantage of the goodwill system. More than 5 million immigrants have entered the country illegally in the two years since Biden became vice president. The House of Representatives is considering impeaching Mayorkas for his alleged inaction in the face of a national security catastrophe at the border.
Blackburn said she was surprised that persons convicted of human trafficking or drug smuggling are eligible for federal support, even though it is generally known that illegal immigrants often qualify for some federal assistance. With her legislation, this exemption will be closed.
Republican South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham called Blackburn’s disclosure “enlightening.” In addition, he had recently sponsored his legislation intended to simplify the procedure for seeking political asylum.
Graham plans to cast his vote on Blackburn’s legislation in person, so he’ll need to be present on the Senate floor. He said, “I’m dying to see who objects.”
According to Graham and Blackburn, the Biden administration misled immigrants into thinking they could stay in the United States if they only made it there. According to Graham, most asylum seekers want to get the ball rolling and have no intention of attending their hearings.
Senate newcomer Britt expressed dismay at the amount of children’s clothing and shoes she saw discarded along the border. According to what Border Patrol officials informed Britt, traffickers dump the kids once they get them to the wall. Visibly frightened, Britt cupped her hands together as if carrying one of those children’s sneakers.
The Senators claim that the cartels use the influx of illegal immigrants to smuggle narcotics and even terrorists into the country.
According to what Blackburn has been informed, the cartels have high-tech surveillance equipment and utilize it to keep tabs on Border Patrol agents.
Human traffickers overpopulate one area. When agents arrive, they redirect illegal goods through a different route to avoid the overworked Border Patrol.
Britt claims that every American is affected by the current situation at the border.
According to her, in the first two months of the school year, there were 15 cases of fentanyl overdoses on Alabama school campuses, resulting in the usage of Narcan.
Hyde-Smith and Blackburn responded affirmatively when asked if they would vote for an immigration reform package. However, they stressed that making a difference takes more than amending a single rule. If immigration reform is to be successful, the border, according to Blackburn, must be secured.