Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – August 10, 2019

Tragedy and Terrorism
This week, our nation was struck by tragedy as two assailants took the lives of at least 31 people in El Paso and Dayton. We must call these events what they are – terrorism. When an individual commits heinous acts of mass violence to further a cause based in racial, religious, or political hatred, no other word fits the bill. Hate of any kind has no place in America. We must continue to call out this evil if we are to ultimately defeat it.

Over the last seven months, I have worked with my colleagues to offer realistic solutions to address the issue of violence in America. One piece of legislation I have co-sponsored is H.R. 1339, the Mass Violence Prevention Act. If passed, the legislation would address the challenges underlying repeated tragedies, including failures in law enforcement coordination and response. Further, it gives law enforcement the resources necessary to prevent and deter gun violence by prosecuting criminals for firearm-related crimes and reducing the flow of firearms into the black market. Another bill, the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act would provide states the resources needed to establish multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment units within law enforcement agencies to root out potential threats.

Border Visit
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to travel to McAllen, Texas, to see for myself the conditions of migrant men, women, and children who have been detained after illegally crossing our southern border. While hundreds of these migrants are entering the U.S. at official ports of entry, many thousands more are crossing our border illegally before claiming asylum.

Some of the individuals I encountered may have been facing immediate danger from war or religious persecution, but most of them are simply seeking better lives for themselves and their families here in America. While wanting to live in America is certainly understandable, and I am happy to assist those individuals who want to apply for citizenship through our legal immigration process, it is not a reason to enter the country illegally or to be granted asylum. For these individuals, it is important that they receive quick consideration by immigration officials and are returned to their home countries as soon as possible.

While there, I was pleased to see that conditions at the Customs and Border Patrol detention and processing centers are much different than those portrayed by some of my Democratic colleagues. Families are kept together, and migrants are provided with immediate medical care, evaluated for sickness and disease, provided with hot showers, clothing, shoes, blankets, and meals. I saw children with crackers, granola bars, juice boxes, and amenities like cartoons, books, and soccer balls. The conditions in the holding facilities are not the picture some of my colleagues and the mainstream media want you to believe.

I was also pleased to visit with the brave men and women of Customs and Border Patrol. Understaffed and underfunded, the officials at CBP have a nearly impossible task. They cannot turn anyone away, and they must address the humanitarian needs of those coming into the country, but that leaves too few to actually do their primary job: patrol the border. They face dangerous surroundings with Mexican cartels just across the Rio Grande river, and they must use their limited resources to prevent drugs, gangs, and criminals engaged in human trafficking and sex trafficking from crossing the river. I was given a boat ride by CBP along the Rio Grande and saw individuals entering the river from the Mexican side. Each day, these brave CBP officers risk their lives to keep us safe here at home from the dangers coming across our border.

Mobile Office Hours
For those in need of constituent services, my staff has already begun to host August Casework Staff Mobile Office Hours. Staff members will be available to meet with citizens to assist with problems they might have with a federal agency and hear their views on current issues before Congress. Mobile office hours may be found at http://cline.house.gov/about/events and there you can locate the Casework Staff Mobile Office Hours near you. If you cannot attend a mobile office hour, my office can always be reached at (540) 857-2672.