Rogers and Craig: Open borders have made Americans less safe
A version of this piece was published in The Detroit News, 6 March 2024
Today, the security of our nation, our state and our communities are at risk due to the failures of President Joe Biden and his allies. In Michigan, we’re now home to six of the top 40 most violent cities in America, including two of the top three, and according to the FBI, Michigan’s violent crime rate in 2022 was 461 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 380.
These problems were easy to see coming. On his first day in office, Biden proudly proclaimed he had rescinded all of former President Donald Trump’s border security policies, throwing the border wide open and allowing over eight million illegal immigrants to enter the country.
The results have been stark. Budgets for local governments, schools, healthcare systems, and law enforcement agencies have been stretched to the limit as they try to keep up with the massive influx of migrants and the costs associated with them.
Violent criminal gangs coming from Central America and beyond are wreaking havoc on our streets and the list of victims is long and tragic, with the brutal murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley in Georgia just the latest tragedy.
It also includes homeowners right here in Oakland County as organized gangs conduct sophisticated robberies. All the while, tens of thousands of Americans each year die from fentanyl brought across the border. The border must be closed. Period.
After a period of relative peace around the globe, including groundbreaking new peace treaties in the Middle East, Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan exposed his weak leadership, causing adversarial nations like Russia, China, and Iran to exploit that weakness, threaten American interests, and attack our allies. The world under Biden has become more dangerous and filled with conflicts.
America is at risk and our families need strong leadership that they can believe in. We’ve both spent our entire careers serving and protecting the citizens of our community, our state, and this great nation. We know what strong leadership looks like, and it’s why we’re on the same team.
The problems may be complex, but the solutions can be simple. We can start by re-electing Trump, whom we have both endorsed.
Michigan also needs the leadership from someone who will walk into the Senate on Day One and know what needs to happen and get it done. We both care deeply about the people of Michigan and treat our duty to keep them safe with the utmost respect.
We know Trump and a Republican Senate will secure the southern border by reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy for those seeking asylum, building physical and technological barriers at the border, ending “catch and release,” and giving our Border Patrol officers the support and resources they need to do their job.
While young families struggle with bills as we see record prices and interest rates, their children are being set up for a future of crime and poverty. Michigan ranks 43rd in the country in fourth grade reading. That’s a bleak future for our state if we do nothing. We must fight to get more resources into the classroom and to provide a better future for millions of children.
Together, we can solve these problems and countless others. Our team, joined by more than 30 Michigan Sheriffs, the Southeastern Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Police Officers Association of Michigan, will work night and day to create a brighter and safer future for Michigan families.
Learn more about Mike Rogers and his plan to Get America Back on Track at RogersForSenate.com.