Congress should be embarrassed that they have neglected the border for as long as they have, but that embarrassment must transform into urgency. Congress must pass spending measures with provisions to secure the border and end mass illegal immigration. This past week, a package containing several thousand dollars worth of fentanyl was discovered inside a New York City day care center. When police arrived, they found a 1 year-old boy, 8 month-old girl, and 2-year old boy showing signs of opioid poisoning. The 1 year old, Dominici, died in the hospital later that day. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin and is flowing across the border at alarming rates. In 2022 Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) caught over 14,000 lbs of fentanyl on the southern border, enough to kill every American in the country. So far in 2023, that number has jumped to over 23,000 lbs! Early estimates from the CDC are seeing drug overdose deaths reach a record level in 2023. Of the over 111,000 drug deaths in the United states in the 12-month period ending in April, about 70% of them involved fentanyl.

Precursor chemicals for fentanyl almost universally originate in China and are then sent to Mexico and manufactured by one of two drug cartels, the Jalisco and Sinaloa Cartels, who then smuggle them into the United States. Too many public officials tolerate this sickening situation for political gain. The grassroots must make it clear in no uncertain terms that the American public demands border security. For the sake of the nation, Congress must pass The Secure the Border Act as soon as possible. Congress has the opportunity to do this by attaching border security provisions to any continuing resolution that will be emerging from the spending fight. This will be the first step in restoring our national security and stop thousands of Americans from dying–this is a victory our country needs. All Congress needs to do is act.

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