Source: US Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-8th)

 Friends,

Borders matter.

In Washington, there has been a lot of talk recently about Ukraine and threats to its border by Russia.

President Biden’s failed foreign policy and weakness on the national stage have emboldened Vladimir Putin and led directly to this crisis in Ukraine. The debacle in Afghanistan, gifting Russia the Nord Stream II pipeline, refusing to provide lethal aide to Ukraine, and saying he expects Russia to make an “incursion into Ukraine” all further destabilized the region and have made the world less safe.

I have called on the President to show strength and deter Russian aggression. I’ve been encouraged by the Biden administration increasing lethal aid to Ukraine through other nations. However, we must do more to provide direct aid. Russia and the world must know the U.S. will never waiver on our commitment to our NATO allies and our friends.

Yet, the simple truth is that when politicians fail, the men and women of our military are often called on to clean up the mess. To be clear, I do not support sending U.S. troops into Ukraine. However, Renee and I are praying for our troops and their families, as many from our Fort Bragg community have now been placed on high alert to deploy to the region.

One thing is certain - deterring Russia is important and deserves our attention. However, America’s borders matter too.

In December alone, border officials confirmed last week that agents encountered 178,840 illegal migrants. That’s a 142% increase from last year and the worst December on record. In total, nearly 2 million illegal migrants have crossed our border just since President Biden entered office. That’s more than the populations of Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Fayetteville – combined.

One year ago, Biden’s first actions as President included immediately ending construction of our already-funded border wall, halting deportations, and stopping President Trump’s successful 'Remain in Mexico’ initiative. These open-border policies created the humanitarian, public health, and national security crisis we are seeing today.

Unlike President Biden, I went to our southern border last year and saw firsthand how hard border agents are working to address the crisis. However, border officials estimate that nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants escaped into the U.S. last year without being apprehended. Of those apprehended and issued notices to appear in court, nearly half failed to report. Most shocking of all, last week TSA confirmed that illegal migrants can use arrest warrants as a form of ID to board an airplane. This is unacceptable.

Also troubling is the impact of this crisis on our communities. Not only have record-setting numbers also seen high rates of COVID, fentanyl crossing our border has skyrocketed. Just last year, fentanyl encountered at the border increased by 134%. Tragically, this has led to the lethal opioid now becoming the leading cause of death of American adults.

This border crisis must end.

As Fort Bragg’s Congressman, rest assured I will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on military families in our community. As stated, deterring Russia is vital to our own national security and the safety of our European allies. Yet at the same time, I will also continue encouraging the president and Washington Democrats to place as much value on protecting our own borders. We have the strongest economy and military in the world that can deter any nation who threatens us. We also have proven solutions to secure our border. We can – and must – do both.


Until Next Week,

Richard Hudson