Congressman Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, announced on Thursday that he has cosponsored seven different border security bills at the outset of the 116th Congress.
Brooks’ office shared federal crime data on crime committed by immigrants who illegally immigrated to the country. According to the crime data Brooks’ office shared, 117,500 undocumented immigrants are arrested for crimes committed each year.
He said they commit roughly 2,000 homicides, 50,000 physical assaults, 15,000 sex crimes, rapes, and other sexual assaults.
Additionally, 15,000 Americans are killed each year by heroin drug overdoses, and 90 percent of all the heroin that comes to America via our porous southern border (much of it transported by drug cartels and their illegal alien “mules”).
The reality, though, is that a number of studies have found that immigrants here illegally commit fewer crimes than native-born American citizens. One study, by the libertarian Cato Institute, found, “The vast majority of research finds that immigrants do not increase local crime rates and that they are less likely to cause crime and less likely to be incarcerated than their native-born peers,” the study’s author wrote.
Much of the numbers Brooks’ cited have also been cited by President Donald Trump.
“I put the interests of Americans above those of illegal aliens. Countless Americans have been killed or otherwise victimized by illegal alien crimes,” Brooks said. “In addition to the murders, vehicular homicides, and deaths from overdoses on drugs from Mexico, illegal aliens take job opportunities from, and suppress the wages of, American workers. Worse yet, illegal aliens cost American taxpayers an estimated $116 billion per year in welfare and other costs. America’s immigration system is badly broken. I support sweeping policy reforms that put Americans first and stop the carnage wrought against Americans by illegal alien crime.”
H.R. 32 by Congressman Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, has introduced the Buy a Brick, Build the Wall Act, which would allow the Secretary of the Treasury to accept public donations to fund the construction of a barrier on the border between the United States and Mexico.
H.R. 85 by Congressman Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, introduced the Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act, which would establish a separate account in the Treasury to hold deposits to be used to secure the southern border of the United States.
Brooks said of H.R. 32 and H.R. 85, “The United States averages a staggering 60,000 illegal border crossings per month. This foreign invasion must stop! I support building the border wall by any means necessary because, historically, walls have been proven to work! I have cosponsored H.R. 32 to help fund a border wall by allowing the United States Treasury to accept donations from the public for border wall construction and cosponsored H.R. 85 to help fund the border wall by diverting $2,000 per illegal alien from foreign aid otherwise paid to an illegal alien’s home country.”
Despite the numbers cited, illegal border crossings are still at a historic low — and much lower than the numbers of illegal border crossings in the 1990s and at their peak in 2000.
H.R. 74 was introduced by Congressman Andy Biggs, R-Arizona. H.R. 74 is known as Grant’s Law. It would statutorily end “Catch and Release” of criminal illegal immigrants.
Brooks said about H.R. 74, “In January of 2015, American Grant Ronnenbeck was brutally murdered at a Mesa, Arizona convenience store by an illegal alien who was already a convicted felon and free on bond while facing deportation. If it weren’t for the Obama Administration’s Catch and Release policy, Grant Ronnenbeck would be alive today. H.R. 74 ends the practice of catch and release for known, dangerous illegal aliens.”
H.R. 140 was sponsored by Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa). H.R.140, the Birthright Citizenship Act, amends Section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth.
Brooks said About H.R. 140, “According to the Pew Research Center, about 6% of all births in the United States (250,000 births a year) are to illegal aliens. Absurdly, those children born to illegal aliens in the United States are automatically granted United States citizenship. What’s worse, through chain migration, the parents of citizens are able to gain legal status and eventually become naturalized citizens themselves. Illegal aliens broke our laws when they came here and at the very least should not be rewarded for their crimes with citizenship. I have cosponsored H.R. 140, the Birthright Citizenship Act, so the children of illegal aliens born in the United States will not automatically be given citizenship, thereby discouraging illegal alien adults from breaking American laws solely for the purpose of giving birth to a child that, in turn, becomes the anchor that allows illegal aliens to stay in America and, thus, be rewarded for their illegal conduct.”
Brooks also co-sponsored H.R. 147 by Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina). H.R. 147, the Visa Overstay Enforcement Act, amends The Immigration and Nationality Act to penalize aliens who overstay their visas.
Brooks said About H.R. 147, “According to the Department of Homeland Security, there were more than 700,000 visa overstays in Fiscal Year 2017. Once a non-citizen’s visa expires they become an illegal alien and should face stiff penalties for illegally remaining in America. I have cosponsored H.R. 147 that allows stiffer fines and imprisonment for repeat offenders.”
H.R. 153 is sponsored by Congressman Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina, the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act, prohibits the receipt of federal financial assistance by sanctuary cities.
About. H.R. 153, Brooks said, “Sanctuary cities endanger American lives by encouraging and shielding illegal alien conduct. For example, Kate Steinle was killed in sanctuary city San Francisco by an illegal alien who had been previously deported five times. The federal government should use every arrow in its quiver to combat sanctuary policies which thumb their nose at immigration law enforcement. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 153 to prohibit federal funds from going to sanctuary cities.”
H.R. 250 was sponsored by Congressman Ken Calvert (R-California). The Legal Workforce Act, H.R. 250, amends The Immigration and Nationality Act to make mandatory and permanent requirements relating to use of an electronic employment eligibility verification system.
Brooks said of H.R. 250, “In addition to America’s expensive welfare system, another major enticement for illegal aliens to violate our laws is the prospect of a job. I have cosponsored H.R. 250, which makes the E-Verify program mandatory for all United States employers. If illegal aliens cannot get a job in America, they are less likely to illegally come here in the first place and much more likely to voluntarily deport themselves back to their home countries.”
“Few issues in Washington are more important to maintaining America’s national security and sovereignty than border security,” Brooks said. “A country without a border is no country at all. I will vote for and support border security bills that put American citizens first and oppose open-borders bills that favor amnesty and encourage more illegal entry into America.”
Brooks represents Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District.