Border Security Plan

Our nation is currently facing a humanitarian and national security crisis at the Southern Border that must be addressed. As Americans continue to bear the social and economic burdens of President Biden’s failed policies, it continues to be a free-for-all on the Southern Border. Under President Biden, over 10 million illegal aliens have entered our country. It is the worst humanitarian crisis our nation has faced in more than two decades, and every year under the Biden Administration has set a new record for illegal border crossings.

When President Biden took office, he paused deportations for millions of illegal immigrants and halted construction of the border wall. Since then, we have seen month after month of record-breaking illegal immigrant crossings and over 10 million apprehensions. Biden’s push for open border policies and amnesty for illegal immigrants has created the worst border crisis in modern history; it is a public health and humanitarian crisis, a haven for criminal activity, and a threat to our national security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been derelict in his duties, failing to address the crisis, which is why I have called on him to resign or be impeached.

In response to this crisis I am supporting the following multipronged approach. It is informed by my work visiting the Southern Border and Northern Border, meeting with Customs and Border Protection Agents (CBP), and my ongoing review of the crisis. 

First, we must immediately restart work on completing the border wall, which the Biden Administration inexplicably halted. A border wall is a necessary tool that allows law enforcement to better manage the situation more safely and enhance our national security. Second, we need to invest in and deploy better border technology. There are proven technologies that help border agents identify illegal activity and address it while reducing risks to themselves. The Biden Administration must work with Congress to fund and fully deploy these technologies. Third, the Administration must also work with Congress to provide law enforcement with greater budget flexibility so they can surge financial resources in times of crisis like we have now.

It is time our federal government puts America First and secures our border – this is a national security and humanitarian imperative. We can and must secure our border in a manner that is compassionate, principled, and rooted firmly in our nation’s highest and most treasured values.

Securing our Southern Border

• Introduced H.R. 1223, the DIRECT Act: This bill would defund Biden’s new IRS army and redirect those funds to hire more CBP agents on the border. It ensures that American taxpayer dollars are used to protect and defend the American people, not attack middle-class families. This legislation will correct the federal government’s spending priorities and help ensure CBP has all the resources they need to secure our border.

• Supported H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act: This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume all activities to construct a border barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border that were underway or planned. It also reinstates many successful Trump administration policies, such as the Remain in Mexico policy and ending catch and release policies. This legislation also invests in critical infrastructure as well as supporting our federal law enforcement officers. We need strong policies at our Southern Border to protect and enhance our national security. Securing our borders helps ensure our national security as well as our economic prosperity.

Prioritizing America First

• Cosponsored H.R. 7511, the Laken Riley Act: This bill follows the devastating homicide of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, whose suspected murderer was a Venezuelan that entered the United States illegally and had previously been arrested and released in New York City. This bill would ensure that illegal aliens charged with a crime are held in police custody until their case is adjudicated. The tragic death of Laken Riley could have been avoided if President Biden and Albany Democrats had enacted strong border policies and ended the pro-criminal bail reform policies that have allowed dangerous criminals back into our communities. President Biden can end this crisis with a stroke of a pen. Yet he refuses to put Americans first, endangering every single one of our communities. We cannot allow this reckless disregard for our nation to continue. I am honored to be a cosponsor of this critical legislation and strongly supported this bill when it passed the House.
• Cosponsored H.R. 661, Sarah’s Law: This bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain any illegal alien that is charged in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. Further, ICE would have to provide the family of the deceased or injured information about the detained alien. While the Biden administration flagrantly refuses to enforce U.S. immigration law, this bill will help ensure that dangerous illegal aliens are not allowed to continue illegally residing in our country. 

• Support H.Res. 89 and H.Res 8, Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors: This Administration’s open border policies have incentivized a record number of illegal crossings into the United States. Customs and Border Patrol agents are working their hardest to protect our country, but they are under resourced, overwhelmed and undermined by an Administration that does not support their basic mission. Since he was confirmed by the Senate, Secretary Mayorkas has failed to secure our border and has instead repeatedly downplayed the crisis. He has also attacked anyone, including Members of Congress, who question his ability to do the job. All the while, illegal crossings have topped almost two million under his watch. It’s clear Secretary Mayorkas is failing to control the crisis at the border and has lost the confidence of the American people. Secretary Mayorkas must be impeached for dereliction of duty!

Upholding the Rule of Law

• Introduced H.R.7553, the Ensuring States Support Law Enforcement Act: This legislation requires States to provide the Department of Homeland Security access to State department of motor vehicle records for the purpose of enforcing our immigration laws. Under New York State’s Green Light Law, illegal aliens can now obtain driver’s licenses and law enforcement can no longer access DMV records, preventing them from enforcing our nation’s laws. This important bill will help keep our communities safe and allow our law enforcement to have the information they need to catch and deport illegal aliens.
• Cosponsored H.R.5857, the No IDs for Illegals Act: This legislation would prohibit funds for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Secure Docket Card Program. Under the Biden-Harris administration, not only is the Department of Homeland Security not enforcing our immigration laws, but they are now actively aiding and abetting lawbreakers by providing them IDs. These IDs can be used to board aircraft and allow illegal aliens to evade the law. This is unconscionable and must be stopped.
• Cosponsored H.R. 3693, the Migrant Relocation Transparency Act: This legislation would require the federal government to disclose when illegal immigrants are resettled in states and localities. Under the Biden administration, illegal immigrants have been transported throughout New York State in the dead of night, without alerting local leaders. Our communities have a right to know when illegal immigrants are brought to their area, especially when these individuals are potentially dangerous. I will always fight to protect Upstate and Western New York from potentially dangerous individuals.
• Cosponsored H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act and H.R. 2494, the POLICE Act: These important bills will make it clear that assaulting a law enforcement officer is a deportable offense. As our Nation continues to struggle with the Biden-Harris border crisis, we must ensure that any illegal alien that harms our law enforcement officers is no longer permitted to remain in our country. I was honored to vote for both these bills when they passed the House of Representatives and urge the Senate to expeditiously send them to President Bident to sign into law.

Your views are very important to me. I hope you will take the time to review this plan and let me know what you think. If you would like to contact me, you can write to me on my website at tenney.house.gov or call my office at 202-225-3665 with feedback, questions, or concerns.