There must be consequences for people entering the United States illegally, or there will continue to be an increase in people trying to cross the border, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Wednesday, agreeing with Attorney General William Barr that illegal immigrants must remain in jail while their deportation cases are being heard.
"I was down at the border Monday night and [Tuesday]," Sen. Johnson told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "What we are seeing and what we're witnessing – what people need to understand – the human traffickers are using our law enforcement, border, and law enforcement officers as just part of their process of funneling people into the United States for long-term residency."
Meanwhile, only about 15% of those claiming asylum have a valid asylum claim, Johnson said, and a higher standard must be made so their claims can be assessed.
Smugglers are using U.S. law and "beating us at our own system, and they have been for some time," he added.
"The people just turn themselves in," Johnson said. "They are completely relaxed. They have no fear. They realize they are only a couple of days away from being processed and being sent to all corners of America."
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals law sparked the attitude, Johnson said, because since 2012, "we're approaching 900,000 unaccompanied children and people in family units having been let into the country and staying long term. Nobody knows where they went. We have no real accounting where these people are. The numbers are growing."
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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