Earlier this month, President Joe Biden attempted to finally address the ongoing invasion at the Southern Border through executive order, which came with a resounding response – too little, too late. Four years into these open border policies it has become clear that the Federal government is failing to protect American citizens from the increasing threats posed by illegal immigration. No part of our country is safe as long as the current administration continues to allow unchecked entry into the United States.
Despite political rhetoric from the White House, the heartbreaking result of these open-border policies reared its ugly head again in Houston, Texas where 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was beaten, murdered, and thrown into a creek bed. According to the Houston Police Department, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, both Venezuelan nationals, have been charged with capital murder in her death. This tragedy did not occur in a dangerous border town or a rundown part of Houston, but in a seemingly safe suburban neighborhood. With the current border policies, such incidents can and will happen anywhere in the country. Safe neighborhoods are now at risk of becoming hotspots for crime, illegal activity, and even human trafficking.
Regrettably, incidents like this are not isolated. Just last Friday, five men were arrested in Missouri for allegedly attempting to traffic a 14-year-old girl to California. According to reports, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were alerted around 2 a.m. about a young woman missing in Indiana and thankfully took quick action to track down the victim. The perpetrators, five adult men, all reportedly undocumented immigrants, were taken into custody and charged with attempting to traffic the girl from Indiana to California. Yet again, we saw the horrors of the unfettered illegal entry into this country far from our Southern Border.
CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking is not willing to wait until an administration change to take action. Earlier this year, we co-hosted a roundtable with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office with the goal of improving response times for law enforcement and services for victims. The rescue of the young child coming across state lines is a testament to the work our heroes in State and local law enforcement can do while we await policy change in Washington. However, it remains imperative that Congress and the current administration take immediate and decisive action to stop illegal immigration, combat the surge in crime, and eradicate human trafficking. The future safety of our neighborhoods and the well-being of our great nation depends on it.
