On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) introduced legislation that would prevent the United States from sending military aid to Ukraine until the U.S. southern border is secured.
Fox News reported that the Secure America’s Border First Act would prevent the United States from making any monetary obligations or commitments of personnel to assist Kyiv in staving off Russian invasion until there is “operational control” of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I think it’s quite hypocritical if someone in the U.S. Congress is willing to expend the funds to secure a border overseas thousands of miles away while they’re not willing to secure our own border,” Rosendale said in an interview. “And we are witnessing not a threat, but we are witnessing an absolute invasion that is taking place right now.”
“We have war hawks on both sides of the aisle willing to go over there and spend American blood and treasure in Ukraine,” Rosendale continued, “What I’m saying is we’re not obligated and so at least the minimum we can do is secure our own border first if you are going to go over there and spend money.”
Rosendale’s bill stipulates that no funds are to be provided to Ukraine until the federal government finishes building the southern border wall and “operational control,” as defined by the 2006 Secure Fence Act, is achieved.
Noting the recent influx of illegal immigrants, Rep. Rosendale said, “We witnessed an invasion over the last year of two million individuals trying to get into the country, we’re not even sure how many of them have been successful, so let’s build the border wall system, let’s gain operational control of our southern border, and then we might be able to have a conversation about what we’re going to do overseas about securing someone else’s border.”
During the 2016 presidential election, then-candidate Donald Trump made securing the southern border a core part of his campaign. Upon winning election, the former president signed an executive order to “secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall” and provide additional resources to officials on the southern border so they could effectively enforce the country’s immigration laws.
Since Joe Biden became president, the immigration crisis at the southern border has gotten significantly worse. In 2021, there were nearly 2 million illegal border crossings.
Many of the people entering the country illegally are given preferential treatment by the federal government. They are being transported into the country’s interior, given substantial sums of money, and can even commit violent crimes without being deported.
The Biden administration’s disregard for immigration law puts the health and safety of law enforcement officials at risk. Several Republican-led states formed a multi-state coalition seeking an injunction forcing the White House to secure the country’s southern border.