Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement after voting to send the Secure America Act (S. 2) to President Trump’s desk, which will provide funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) through Fiscal Year 2029:

                “Since the beginning of this Congress, my fellow House Republicans and I have been working tirelessly to remedy the unprecedented crisis at our Southern border.

                “The Biden-Harris Administration’s weak, feckless border enforcement policies have put and are still putting millions of Americans in danger, exposing them to transnational crime and violence, drug smuggling, and human, sex, and labor trafficking. Despite the significant threats that an unsecured border poses to American citizens, late last year, Democrats shut down the entire Department of Homeland Security for three months.

                “This ill-advised and hyper-partisan decision presented dangerous opportunities to our Nation’s adversaries and undermined our law enforcement officers’ efforts to prevent serious crimes, including human and drug trafficking, espionage, terrorism, and other national security threats.

                “This funding lapse not only impacted key border functions, but also drastically impaired the federal government’s ability to secure domestic and international travel, respond to natural disasters, and ensure Americans’ safety.

                “For instance, the shutdown forced Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay, causing severe financial strain, high absenteeism, and a surge of over 1,000 resignations—stretching already thin resources even further. The shutdown also created serious challenges for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

                “FEMA was forced to limit operations to strictly necessary actions in the event of an active disaster, undermining the federal government’s ability to prepare and train for hurricane season and stalling longer-term recovery efforts. The Coast Guard now faces serious recruitment challenges, which hamstrings their ability to protect American fisheries and waterways.

                “After holding the federal funding for DHS hostage, Democrats then refused to provide necessary funding for ICE and CBP over unrealistic and unworkable demands. Throughout this process, congressional Democrats continued to demonize and denigrate our brave ICE officers, with some even justifying and excusing the vicious abuse and mistreatment inflicted upon our federal law enforcement officers by protesters, as we are currently witnessing at Delaney Hall in Newark.

                “Finally putting an end to the Democrats’ circus, Republicans in the House and Senate passed the Secure America Act, which will give federal law enforcement the necessary tools to go after the worst of the worst. This law will also ensure that our ICE and CBP officers will not have to worry about when their next paycheck will arrive while they put their lives on the line for our safety.

                “Though I am relieved that our Nation’s immigration enforcement agencies now have the necessary support for continued operations, I remain gravely concerned by the growing trend of forcing government shutdowns to accomplish or delay real or perceived political goals. Playing politics with essential national security functions is deeply irresponsible and puts American lives at risk.” 

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