It’s a simple fact that the Biden administration’s open border policies have birthed a national security catastrophe. Sadly, every state has now become a border state due to this failure. Since the day President Biden first stepped into the Oval Office, 5.2 million illegal crossings occurred at the southern border; of those, 1.5 million illegal aliens, referred to as “gotaways” have evaded apprehension and escaped into our country. Aside from these eye-popping numbers, there’s another immediate consequence that’s affecting communities across the nation: the rapid influx of illegal aliens being housed at schools.

Right now, schools should be focused on helping students recover from devastating pandemic-era learning loss. In the wake of the pandemic, children are suffering – math and reading scores have plummeted to their lowest levels in years. Using schools, particularly the gymnasiums within them, for housing illegal aliens has the potential to impede children’s access to safe recreation and physical education. What’s more, housing illegal aliens in schools poses a significant safety risk to school children and compromises schools’ ability to secure their own campuses. 

On May 16^th of this year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to house asylum seekers in up to 20 current and former public schools with free-standing gyms. While a community outcry ultimately put a stop to New York City’s plans, these actions set a troubling precedent for the future. In Chicago, for instance, local leadership is reportedly considering housing hundreds of illegal aliens in a shuttered high school. In El Paso, a surge of 1,500 illegal aliens required the district to spend $300,000 daily, or nearly $10 million, in last September alone.

What’s the solution? This week, the House passed H. Res. 461, legislation that condemns using elementary and secondary school facilities to provide shelter for illegal aliens who are not admitted to the United States. Further, it sends a full-throated message to cities across the nation, the Biden administration, and local leaders that the safety and education of American school children should not be subject to their pro-illegal immigration whims. The academic success and safety of America’s students should always be put first.

The FAIR Act

Recently, Representatives Burgess Owens (R-UT) and Lisa McClain (R-MI) joined me in introducing H.R. 4144, the Federal Assistance to Initiate Repayment (Fair) Act. The student loan system is broken, but rather than working with Congress to fix it, President Biden is attempting to ram through his radical free college agenda at the expense of both borrowers and taxpayers. This legislation offers a sensible and responsible solution to fix the student loan system. In short, it will help millions of borrowers return to repayment while protecting taxpayers by nixing the so-called “student loan forgiveness” scam.

To learn more about this legislation, click here.

New Scam Alert

Are you planning on traveling this summer with family, friends, or even on your own? From hotel scams to scams involving fake vacation rentals, bad actors are always looking for new ways to ensnare travelers and steal their personal and financial information. If you come across a vacation deal that’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), travel-related fraud cost Americans more than $105 million last year. 

To learn more about how to avoid common travel scams, click here.

Quote of The Week

“Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all.”

­-Benjamin Franklin

Have a blessed weekend,