A group of Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill introduced a bill Thursday that would authorize National Guard troops to repel illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border while carrying a weapon to deter the Mexican drug cartel and smugglers.
Sponsored by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), the “Defend Our Borders from Armed Invaders Act” would give the National Guard the power to directly stop illegal border crossers attempting to enter the country armed with weapons. The Daily Caller News Foundation recently obtained a copy of the Republican border security bill.
🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨 GOP Reps Introduce Bill Allowing National Guard To Repel ‘Armed Invaders’ At Border from @JennieSTaer https://t.co/QPW4znomdk
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 1, 2024
“Cartels and smugglers are thriving at our wide-open border,” said Luttrell in a statement for the Daily Caller. “We’re seeing violent crime continually escalate at the border and flow into our communities, as President Biden’s policies have created an untenable national security crisis.”
“This legislation is a step in the right direction to reign in this crime by providing the National Guard the power to stop these armed individuals from crossing into the United States by any means necessary,” Luttrell added.
If the bill were already law last August, it would have allowed the National Guard to respond when Texas Rangers drone operators in Eagle Pass observed a male carrying a long gun while guiding a group of illegal border crosses over the Rio Grande near Shelby Park.
08/02: @TxDPS Texas Rangers UAS (Drone) Operators in #EaglePass conducted a patrol flight in #ShelbyPark. Operators observed a male carrying a long gun (possibly an AR platform) guiding a group of illegal immigrants across the Rio Grande. The unidentified male made it back to… pic.twitter.com/5ZPD12dcAh
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) August 3, 2023
U.S. Border Patrol agents have reported record levels of illegal border crossing by non-U.S. citizens in recent years, with illegal immigration surging in the past three months. Meanwhile, 75% of Americans support using the U.S. military to stop the Mexican drug cartels.
The federal government under President Joe Biden has battled with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) over immigration policy in recent weeks. Biden ordered the U.S. Border Patrol to cut down razor wire barriers placed by the Texas National Guard to repel illegal immigrants at the border. Abbott and the Texas reservists have defied the president’s orders.
Last month, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) introduced a bill, “The Restricting Administration Zealots from Obliging Raiders (RAZOR) Act” to block the Biden White House from removing border barriers.
