Anyone who visits facilities at the U.S-Mexico border must be prepared to follow the rules, even if they're in Congress or represent someone who is," Sen. John Kennedy said Thursday, while responding to reports that staffers for House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings were blocked this week from visiting Border Patrol facilities after their actions at the border last week.
"It's not the big rock candy mountain down there," the Louisiana Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "It is a law enforcement crisis. If somebody follows the rules and they are a member of Congress, they should be allowed to go. But if they don't, they shouldn't."
Fox News reported Wednesday that committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-MD., had sent his staff last week to conduct oversight investigations and had planned to send staff members again this week to visit Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol centers. However, the Department of Home Security revoked their access to the CBP centers, saying that the staffers interfered with law enforcement officials during last week's tours.
"Let's face what this is all about," said Kennedy. "Not all of them, but many of my Democratic friends now believe in open borders...and if you disagree with my Democratic friends you're a racist."
Vetting people who want to come into the United States is not being racist, but it's prudent, Kennedy said.
"Every country that I'm aware of vets people before they come into their country," he said. "That's really what this is all about. It is open borders versus enforcing America's immigration laws."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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