Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on the impact of Biden Administration immigration policies on the surge of illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigrant farm workers.
Graham noted that if we legalize illegal immigrants in the United States today without first securing our border, we will encourage additional illegal immigration.
GRAHAM: “If we legalize one person under this program, which I’ve been historically for, how will it affect border security? Will it be a run on the border?”
VILSACK: “I don’t believe so. In fact…”
GRAHAM: “You don’t believe so? You don’t believe if we give legal status to hundreds of thousands of people without first securing the border, there won’t be a rush on the border?”
VILSACK: “I don’t believe so.”
https://youtu.be/svCxsVSlfgE?t=36
GRAHAM: “Do you understand that if you give legal status to one person without first securing the border you’re going to have a run on the border ten times worse…”
VILSACK: “No, I don’t believe so.”
https://youtu.be/svCxsVSlfgE?t=70
GRAHAM: “To put a fine point on it, what the hell has happened in the triangle countries in six months where we went from the lowest illegal crossings coming from that part of the world to the highest?”
VILSACK: “The pandemic and food shortages.”
GRAHAM: “So that’s what you believe? It’s not changing the policy of remain in Mexico, abolishing the idea that you have to wait in Mexico, you’re not released into the country? You can’t figure out that when the Biden Administration cancelled remain in Mexico, they let you come into the country and they release you into the country and you never show up for your hearing, that catch and release program…have you ever talked to the Border Patrol about this?”
https://youtu.be/svCxsVSlfgE?t=314
GRAHAM: “Have you ever had a discussion about the pull factors with the Border Patrol? Have you ever had one? Yes or no?”
VILSACK: “Yes.”
GRAHAM: “When?”
VILSACK: “My first stint.”
GRAHAM: “Well when was that?”
VILSACK: “I don’t remember the year, sir.”
GRAHAM: “Okay. Has it been in the last ten years?”
VILSACK: “It may have been.”
GRAHAM: “Has it been in the last year?”
VILSACK: “No.”
GRAHAM: “Go talk to them and you’ll find out how wrong you are, if you talk to them.”
https://youtu.be/svCxsVSlfgE?t=355
Click to Watch Graham’s Full Remarks
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