10/15/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2021 11:35
By the end of the year, the U.S. is expected to see more than 2.3 million people attempt to illegally cross our southern border. These numbers are staggering.
From President Biden's immediate reversal of the former administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy-which the Supreme Court has ruled he must reinstate and the administration is ignoring-to their refusal to rebuild the wall, misstep after misstep is fueling an increasingly disastrous and dangerous situation.
There is no question that our immigration system right now, under the Biden Administration, is being pushed to its limits, all by crises they created.
Because of this, we know folks are going to try to take advantage of the strained immigration system, and we need to ensure we have laws on the books to keep dangerous people out of our country.
Right now, our laws don't effectively target those who have been convicted of sexual assault and sexual violence. And tragically, we've seen horrific crimes committed by those trying to take advantage of our immigration system, including horrendous things like sex trafficking, forced marriage, and even female genital mutilation. Immigrant women in particular have significantly increased vulnerability to recurring sexual assault.
This is a commonsense, urgently-needed solution to modernize our immigration policies and combat sexual violence and those seeking to exploit our laws. I'm proud to have support on this legislation from over a dozen of my friends and colleagues in the Senate, including Iowa's senior senator, Chuck Grassley.
Because of the Biden Administration's policies, every state is now a border state. Iowa sees the effects of a porous border, from drug trafficking to human trafficking, and the overwhelming national security threat these reckless policies have created. There are steps the president and Congress could take right now to start addressing the crisis. I encourage them to start with something easy-pass and sign into law my BE GONE Act and ensure sexual predators and those who are convicted of sexual crimes stay out or get out.
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
Click here or on the image above for an official portrait of Senator Ernst.
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