LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Michele Hoitenga on Wednesday introduced Senate Bill 725 as part of a larger package offered by Senate Republicans to enforce U.S. immigration laws in Michigan and better protect local communities from President Joe Biden’s growing border crisis.
“The sheer number of illegal migrants pouring into the country under President Joe Biden’s open border policies has made it so that every state is now a border state,” said Hoitenga, R-Manton. “The influx of migrants is stretching community resources beyond capacity — not to mention the unfathomable amounts of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs coming into our country. When the federal government fails to value the safety and security of its people, the responsibility then falls to the states. Michigan must act to protect our people.”
The Republicans’ Strong Borders, Safe Communities plan includes increased penalties for the manufacturing, delivery, or possession of fentanyl and requires every Michigan community to enforce state and federal immigration laws. Hoitenga’s bill seeks to end the practice of so-called “sanctuary counties.” Additionally, the plan calls on the president and Congress to immediately and fully resolve the border crisis.
In 2023, more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl was seized at the border — an 860% increase compared to 2019 and enough to kill millions of Americans. Drug overdose deaths reached a new high in 2023 and are now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Approximately 3,000 Michiganders die each year due to overdoses.
Self-proclaimed “sanctuary cities” across the United States, including New York City, Chicago and Denver, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to house, school, and provide health care to migrants overflowing their communities, both legal and illegal — tax dollars that could otherwise be utilized to fight crime, help failing schools and support other needed community resources.
The U.S. border with Canada experienced a massive 550% increase in apprehensions during the 2023 fiscal year, surpassing all numbers seen in the past decade combined.
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