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Senate Republicans recently introduced an effort that seeks to uphold federal immigration laws and help keep Michigan safe from the ongoing fentanyl crisis. I strongly support this effort to help curb the movement of this dangerous drug into our state.
The crisis at the southern border is endangering communities across the nation and allowing individuals who are a known threat to the United States to freely enter our country. The president’s open border policies are putting our national security at risk and allowing record amounts of deadly fentanyl to enter the United States.
There are approximately 3,000 overdose deaths in Michigan each year and fentanyl is a major cause of these heart-wrenching tragedies. The drastic increase in drug overdoses has made them the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
In 2023, more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the border — an 860% increase compared to 2019. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, illicit fentanyl is primarily manufactured and smuggled into the United States through Mexico. Fentanyl is typically mixed with other drugs to increase potency. The drug is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, making just 2 milligrams of fentanyl lethal.
Three weeks after six kilograms of fentanyl were seized in southwest Michigan last year, the DEA seized 20 kilograms of fentanyl in Oakland County. It was the largest-ever fentanyl bust in Michigan and contained enough fentanyl to kill roughly 10 million people. The amount of fentanyl pouring over our borders is enough to kill millions of Americans and not only puts citizens at risk, but also puts law enforcement officers in grave danger as they seek to keep the drug off our streets.
The Strong Borders, Safe Communities plan includes increased penalties for the production, delivery, or possession of fentanyl. The package would also require every Michigan community to enforce federal immigration laws and end the practice of “sanctuary cities” in Michigan. The plan also calls on the president and Congress to do their part as well and immediately and fully resolve the ongoing border crisis.
This plan takes major steps to defend our state against the national fentanyl crisis and help prevent Michigan communities from becoming a safe haven for those who are in the country illegally.
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