Hoeven: New Congress Already Working to Restore Order at U.S.-Mexico Border

01.16.25

Hoeven: New Congress Already Working to Restore Order at U.S.-Mexico Border

Senator Outlines Efforts with Incoming Trump Administration to Reinstate, Enforce Commonsense Border Policies on Day One

WASHINGTON - During remarks delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate this week, Senator John Hoeven discussed how efforts are underway in the 119th Congress to secure the border and rescind the broken immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration. In particular, Hoeven:

• Highlighted the Laken Riley Act, which he helped introduce with Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), is currently under consideration by the Senate and would:

o Require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses.

o Mandate that these aliens are detained until they are removed from the United States so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes.

o Ensure states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws or who violate the law.

• Outlined efforts with the incoming Trump administration to prioritize the following policies to protect the border:

o Reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols, or Remain in Mexico Policy.

o Enforcing the Safe Third Country Agreements.

o Resuming construction of the border wall.

• Discussed the opportunity for the Republican-led Congress to use budget reconciliation to secure the border.

"We look forward to January 20, when we can turn the page on the failed border policies of the Biden-Harris administration, and get back to the commonsense approach to border security under President Donald Trump," said Hoeven. "The Biden-Harris administration has made our country less safe, less secure, and more vulnerable to threats from abroad. The American people saw beyond the Biden-Harris administration's false claims that the border was secure, and last November gave a very clear mandate - secure the border.

"In his first 100 days in office, President Biden revoked 94 Trump-era executive orders and reversed crucial border-security policies. In less than a week President-Elect Trump will be sworn into office. He has committed to taking executive action on Day One to reinstate the polices that secured our border. I look forward to these changes and to working together to address the crisis created under the Biden-Harris administration.

"I also look forward to the debate that will take place in the coming weeks regarding how Republicans will secure the border though reconciliation. This will be an important legislative tool that will help refocus resources so that the professionals at ICE, CBP and U.S. Border Patrol can focus on the mission of securing our border, removing criminal aliens who should not be in the United States and addressing potential threats to the homeland.

"Senate Republicans stand ready to work with President Trump to advance the policies that kept our border secure during his first administration. That's exactly what my colleagues and I will be working to accomplish every day in the coming months, because border security is national security."

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