October 24, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) unveiled his comprehensive package of Senate solutions to secure the border. Ricketts will be visiting the border with Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) later this week for an update on the situation at the southern border.
“President Biden’s negligence and failed policies have created an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our border,” said Senator Ricketts. “I promised Nebraskans I would fight to secure our border in the Senate. These solutions attack Biden’s border security failures head on – from reforming our broken asylum process to building the wall to stopping sanctuary cities policies in liberal states and cities and going after cartels. If Biden won’t act, Congress must.”
Ricketts introduced the Ensure Uniform Border Inspection Practices Act to require annual comprehensive reviews of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policies to improve enforcement practices. He also re-affirmed his support for 10 additional pieces of legislation that address the illegal immigration crisis at the border and need to enforce existing laws. The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC).
- The Secure the Border Act, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), would tighten asylum standards, resume construction of the border wall, criminalize visa overstays, increase the number of Border Patrol Agents, and crack down on entities assisting illegal aliens.
- The Stopping Border Surges Act, sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), would close immigration system loopholes, eliminate incentives for sending children to the border, and disrupt the power of human traffickers and cartels.
- The End Child Trafficking Now Act, sponsored by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would increase the deterrent to child trafficking by requiring a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal aliens and any accompanying children.
- The Asylum Abuse Reduction Act, sponsored by Senator Katie Boyd-Britt (R-AL), would strengthen enforcement of immigration laws and address vulnerabilities and inconsistencies in the asylum system to ensure that asylum claims are processed fairly and efficiently.
- The Upholding the Law at Our Border Act, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), would improve transparency and accountability of immigration laws by requiring regular and detailed investigations by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the vetting and processing of migrants at the southwest border.
- The Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, also sponsored by Cruz, would allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and would cut grant funding to sanctuary cities.
- The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, sponsored by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), would attack the income streams of those who traffic deadly drugs like fentanyl and devastate communities.
- The Alan T. Shao II Fentanyl Public Health Emergency and Overdose Prevention Act, also sponsored by Tim Scott, would allow the Department of Homeland Security to use powers similar to those under Title 42 to combat the fentanyl-related health emergency.
- The Felony Murder for Deadly Fentanyl Distribution Act of 2023, sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), which would make the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death punishable by federal felony murder charges.
- The Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act, sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substance Act.
The Ensure Uniform Border Inspection Practices Act Ricketts introduced today would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to perform annual comprehensive reviews of how people and the deadly drug fentanyl are being transported across ports of entry. These reviews would identify areas where implementation of inspection practices is weak and ensure improvement in those areas.
Bill text for the Ensure Uniform Border Inspection Practices Act can be found here.
BACKGROUND:
This week’s border visit will be Ricketts’ second as U.S. Senator. Ricketts previously visited with Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) in March.
Ricketts has made combatting illegal immigration a top priority both as Governor and in the U.S. Senate. When he was Governor, Ricketts and 25 other Republican governors called on President Biden to meet with them to address the border crisis. The governors released a joint policy framework containing 10 solutions Biden could enact immediately to combat the border crisis he created. As Governor, Ricketts also sent Nebraska State Troopers to reinforce the southern border. The border crisis and need to address it were prominent topics in Ricketts’ Maiden Speech in the U.S. Senate. Earlier this year, Ricketts also spoke on the Senate floor outlining additional solutions to combat the drug trafficking crisis.