Dear Friends and Neighbors,

On Friday, April 12, I had an opportunity to visit our nation’s southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, along with state House Republican Leader Matt Hall, where we observed National Guard units from Texas and other states combating the border crisis that has surged on Joe Biden’s watch.

We joined with officials from other states to meet with Texas officials and we witnessed firsthand as illegal aliens attempted to cross the border away from legal ports of entry. The work in Eagle Pass is part of Texas’ Operation Lone Star, which Gov. Greg Abbott launched in 2021 to fill the void in border security created by the Biden administration’s failures and crack down on illegal drugs that are trafficked across the border.

Operation Lone Star builds fencing and other physical barriers to reduce illegal crossings, performs border surveillance, and conducts search and rescue along the border. The operation has seized more than 57,000 pounds of meth, 10,000 firearms, and 473 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

We’ve all heard about the Biden border crisis; it’s even more shocking to witness the chaos unfold before your own eyes. The Biden administration’s failure to protect our nation’s borders has created a national crisis that is endangering the lives and livelihoods of Americans from Texas to Michigan.

Deadly fentanyl trafficking is killing thousands, and criminals taking advantage of self-proclaimed sanctuary communities are harming our loved ones right here in our home state. Republicans have introduced plans to combat this crisis on both fronts here in Michigan, but the Democrat majority has refused to even hold hearings. When will they stop playing political theater to protect their party’s president and start protecting the people of Michigan?

Aliens who get caught after crossing the border illegally often file asylum claims as a defense against deportation, and Biden’s ongoing dismantling of former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy has allowed more asylum seekers to stay in the United States while their asylum claim is pending, many asylum cases remain pending without a hearing for more than 10 years.

At the same time, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Newcomer Rental Subsidy program offers rent assistance to these illegal entrants with pending asylum applications, and she’s proposing taxpayer-funded legal representation for asylum seekers. More than 97% of asylum claims filed in fiscal year 2023 are defensive, and a minority of asylum seekers have their claims granted.

The dangers of the border crisis reach far beyond southwest border communities. Multiple illegal aliens have been arrested for violent crimes in Michigan in recent months, including murder, soliciting sex with a minor, and sexual assault. The visit also comes as the Whitmer administration pushes policies and proposals to offer taxpayer-funded assistance to people who entered the country illegally.

I have been leading efforts along with Rep. Hall in the Michigan Legislature to combat the illegal immigration crisis where it affects Michigan policy. We have called for a ban on local sanctuary policies that inhibit local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration officers. We are also working to crack down on the distribution of deadly fentanyl, which international gangs have proliferated, and to hold the Whitmer administration accountable for her “Newcomer Rental Subsidy” program criteria that are so sweeping that they offer rent assistance to illegal aliens who got arrested and then claimed asylum to avoid deportation.

Gov. Whitmer is proposing $8 million in her budget for “New Michigander Immigration and Legal Services,” which would subsidize legal services for asylum seekers, even though more than 97% of asylum seekers in fiscal year 2023 claimed asylum defensively after they were facing deportation and most asylum claims get denied. The governor recently claimed to the press that she believes people here illegally should not have access to state benefits, but the fact that her rent program and proposed legal aid program include individuals with a pending defensive asylum application belie the claim.

As of 2023, Biden’s failed immigration enforcement has resulted in more than 1.7 million gotaways — illegal crossers who were not apprehended — at the southwest border. Unlike our governor, I refuse to put the people of Michigan at risk for short-term political gain. I will continue to fight to protect Michigan communities from the deadly fentanyl and criminals crossing our borders.

As always, should you have any questions or concerns about the Legislature or state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office by calling 517-373-0793 or by going to SenatorAricNesbitt.com. You can also stay up to date with what I am doing in Lansing by following me on Facebook or on X (formally Twitter). I look forward to listening and learning about your priorities and concerns for our state.

Blessings,


Aric Nesbitt
State Senate District 20
Senate Republican Leader