With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: Why did you write a letter to the Department of Homeland Security asking how the man accused of murdering Mollie Tibbetts got from Mexico to Iowa and was in Iowa illegally for up to seven years?
A: The letter I sent to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen seeks answers on a number of issues that concern Iowans, including myself, about the consequences of insufficient border security. Many constituents find it wholly unacceptable that the federal government has not adequately enforced our immigration laws. The failure to do so allows individuals to break our laws, enter the country and go undetected for years. As a U.S. Senator, it is my duty to advocate on behalf of Iowans who deserve better protections from their federal government.
The fundamental responsibility of the federal government is national security. That includes border security. The protection of American citizens and the sovereignty of the United States of America depends on effective, enforceable and accountable border security. Getting answers from the Department of Homeland Security will clarify specific weaknesses in our immigration laws that have been brushed aside time and again. For reasons of national security, it is the responsibility of the federal government to know who is coming and who is going when they enter and exit the country. Lax enforcement allows people to stay long beyond expired visas, for example.
Congress has been punting on immigration reform and border security for far too long. In the last Congress, I co-sponsored legislation with Senators Joni Ernst, Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer following the tragic killing in 2016 of Iowan Sarah Root by an illegal immigrant. When her alleged killer was released from custody, he presumably fled the country and remains at large. Our bill would require the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take custody of immigrants who have been charged with a crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury. It also would require ICE to make reasonable efforts to keep crime victims and their families updated with relevant information on the case.
We need better, stronger, more effective border security. Congress needs to enact reforms that increase personnel, boost technology, modernize infrastructure, strengthen interior enforcement and mandate the E-verify system.
Although there seems to be broad agreement that our immigration system is broken, there’s entrenched disagreement how to fix it. As one of Iowa’s U.S. Senators, it’s my duty to get answers and fix flaws in our immigration system that are failing to protect the safety and security of American citizens.
Q: How do Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protect our borders?
A: The men and women who serve in these federal agencies protect the homeland by enforcing the nation’s immigration laws. They put themselves in harm’s way to stop illicit drug flows, human trafficking operations and transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. Keeping out criminals and terrorists ought to be a non-controversial priority for the federal government. And yet, misguided efforts to dismantle these agencies ignore the vital roles they serve to rescue sexually exploited children and victims of human trafficking; seize narcotics and synthetic drugs poisoning and killing Americans; and, keep terrorists and criminals from entering the country and infiltrating our communities. Conducting oversight is a vital function of the legislative branch that I use to make sure the laws are adequately enforced and as Congress intended. That includes accountable enforcement of the refugee program. I recently wrote a letter to the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Department of State to get details regarding an Iraqi national who was granted refugee status to live in the United States despite his ties to terrorist organizations. The U.S. government must execute thorough vetting of refugees and asylum seekers to ensure America’s welcome mat isn’t infiltrated by those who pose harm to U.S. citizens. When a member of a foreign terrorist organization pulls the wool over the eyes of the U.S. federal government to gain refugee status, we have a serious problem. I am seeking details on how this individual was afforded refugee protection in 2014; and years later arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Identifying and plugging gaps in the enforcement of our immigration laws are essential to securing our borders and protecting the safety of American citizens.