Oregon Lawmakers Tour the U.S.-Mexican Border to Learn About Illegal Immigration

A group of 15 Republican Oregon lawmakers toured the United States-Mexican border earlier this week to learn more about illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.

Oregon’s Southern Border is ‘Wide Open’

Oregon may not be a border state but faces the consequences of a ‘wide open’ U.S. southern border, say the lawmakers in a press statement.

The group toured the border in Yuma, Arizona, to focus attention on issues impacting Oregon. They were accompanied by Arizona officials and the advocacy group, Border Security Alliance.

A Cartel Operates the Illegal Immigration Flood

“A cartel is pushing people across the border in droves,” says Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville). A border wall would allow officials to process immigrants entering the U.S., she says.

Homing in on drug smuggling, Sen. Tim Knopp says: “it is time to get serious about making Oregonians safer from the Democrats’ disastrous policies at the border. He described the border situation as a “human tragedy,” adding that Republic legislators are reviewing options to halt the flood of deadly and dangerous drugs.

Republicans Care More About MAGA Politics Than the Drug Crisis

Their comments have been slammed by the Executive Director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Fund, Oliver Muggli, who described the Republican border tour as a ‘cheap stunt,’ proving they cared more about MAGA politics that finding a solution to Oregon’s drug crisis. MAGA translates to Make America Great Again, a political slogan popularized by Donald Trump.

Muggli described the Republicans as ‘playing cowboy on the border’. In a no-holds barred retaliatory statement, Muggli if they were serious about their jobs, they would be rolling up their sleeves together with their Democrat counterparts instead of going on vacation ‘to play cowboy on the border.’

House Bill 4002 was approved by Oregon lawmakers at the most recent legislative session. The bill readdressed the earlier voter-approved Measure 110 that had decriminalized small amounts of drugs such as fentanyl, meth, and cocaine. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed HB 4002 at the beginning of April which allows lawmakers to charge offenders with up to six months in prison. The bill allows offenders to choose legal penalties or treatment that involves behavioral health screening and a course of treatment.

Get Drugs Off the Streets

Breece-Iverson and Christine Goodwin say they want to ensure that district attorneys and law enforcement have the resources to ‘get drugs off the streets’ at the next legislative session.

Referring to the border trip, the pair say they want Oregonians to understand what is happening in Arizona, how that is affecting the state, and to better deal with the situation. Before the tour, Breece-Iverson said the drug addiction and overdose crisis would not simply ‘go away’ by recriminalizing drugs. While Republicans chose to be a proactive part of the solution, Oregon Democrats ‘think they can bury their heads in the sand.”

Takeaways

Officials have stated that the border trip was not funded with taxpayer money.

Other Republicans who visited Arizona included Sen. David Brock Smith, Sen. Kim Thatcher, and Fred Girod.