After years of crisis and chaos at the southern border thanks to reckless open-border policies, the Trump administration and GOP-controlled Congress are committed to border security and enforcing immigration law. 

To continue that important push, we are crafting measures that bolster the tools and resources needed to maintain what is now the most secure border in American history. The turnaround to reach this point is undeniable. 

In just 6 months, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security – as well the Coast Guard and even elements from the Department of Defense – have worked tirelessly to regain operational control along our borders while combating the influx of drugs and human trafficking. Rather than facilitating the deluge of migrants and asylum seekers into our country, they are now empowered to stop it.

As a result of the new administration’s strong policies like ending catch-and-release and designating dangerous gangs and cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Border Patrol is reporting staggering declines in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross our southern border today.

This May, CBP reported 8,725 encounters representing a 93 percent drop from the nearly 118,000 at the same time last year. Further, no illegal immigrants apprehended at the border were temporarily allowed into the U.S. last month when in May 2024, an estimated 62,000 border crossers were allowed to enter our country. Between January and May 2025, over 8,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl – an illicit drug responsible for over half of overdoses across The Natural State in 2022, were seized.

Failing to control our border or enforce federal immigration laws and policies puts Americans at risk. We saw the tragic consequences on numerous occasions, spurring action to equip law enforcement with more authority to protect communities from the threat of criminal illegal immigrants.

In fact, the first law President Trump signed in his second term was the Laken Riley Act. I was proud to cosponsor this effort to help spare more potential victims from suffering harm at the hands of violent unlawful migrants by ensuring they do not roam freely.

These efforts are not just good policy. They are popular with the American public, a majority of whom overwhelmingly support strong, secure borders.

Senate Republicans are working to fund this important priority with a package that unlocks and allocates $175 billion in necessary funding to hire more ICE and CBP agents, expand detention capacity, finish the border wall, update border surveillance technology and invest into state and local law enforcement partners.

America is a nation of immigrants and should remain welcoming to those who want to achieve the American dream through the lawful process. Throughout the last decade, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has naturalized nearly 8 million legal immigrants from around the world to enjoy the rights and honor of American citizenship. 

But we are a nation of laws. Ignoring or undermining them, including forfeiting control of our borders and refusing to faithfully undertake immigration enforcement, leads to deadly, damaging outcomes. The last four years were unacceptable in addition to being a tremendous disservice to citizens and immigrants alike. 

I am pleased that Congress and the executive branch are wasting no time to correct these failures. We look forward to soon providing even more support to the men and women carrying out the responsibility to execute real border security and protect us all from the vulnerabilities of immigration lawlessness.