Roy Blunt: We need physical barriers along our southern border

(From Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO)

We are a nation of immigrants, but our laws–and our borders–must be respected.

Securing our borders means protecting against national security threats, stemming the flow of illegal drugs, and preventing human trafficking. Secure borders help keep Americans safe.

The Department of Homeland Security reported nearly 17,000 criminals were apprehended at the southern border last year. And, U.S. Customs and Border Protection saw a dramatic spike in drugs seizures at our southern border: a 73% increase in fentanyl, a 38% increase in methamphetamine, and a 22% increase in heroin.

It’s clear, now more than ever, that we need stronger border security and that includes physical barriers.

Physical barriers have a proven record of effectiveness. Since the early 1990s, we have built physical barriers in several sectors along our southern border. Since each barrier was built, those sectors have seen significant decreases in apprehensions of people crossing the border illegally. In San Diego, Yuma, and El Paso, apprehensions dropped by 95%, and in Tucson they dropped by 90%.

These statistics speak for themselves: Walls are a commonsense and effective solution.

Even my Democratic colleagues know that walls work. In the past, Democrats have supported physical barriers as a part of border security. In fact, they’ve supported 700 miles of physical barriers. Now, suddenly, 702 miles is “immoral.”

It’s time for them to join us in securing our borders. Once our border is strengthened, other issues related to immigration will be much easier to solve.