U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has introduced two legislative measures aimed at enhancing border security and protecting American citizens from criminal activity linked to illegal immigration.
The Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act and the Creating Obstructions Necessary to Address Illegal and Nefarious Entry Rapidly (CONTAINER) Act seek to enforce stricter immigration policies and grant states more authority in securing the southern border.
The Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act proposes to make illegal immigrants convicted of sexual offenses or domestic violence inadmissible to the United States, and mandates their deportation if they are found guilty of such crimes.
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“No illegal immigrant who commits an act of sexual violence against U.S. citizens should be allowed to enter or remain in our country,” Senator Blackburn stated. “This legislation is common sense, and we need to keep dangerous individuals like the violent criminals who killed Laken Riley and Rachel Morin off our streets and out of our country.”
Under the legislation:
- Illegal aliens convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence, or those who admit to such crimes, would be deemed inadmissible to the U.S.
- Any illegal alien convicted of a sex offense or conspiracy to commit such an offense would be subject to immediate deportation.
The House of Representatives, led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), recently passed a companion version of the bill.
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The CONTAINER Act seeks to provide border states with the authority to place temporary barriers, such as shipping containers and razor wire, on federal lands to prevent unauthorized crossings and protect local communities from the impacts of illegal immigration.
“Under President Biden, Border Patrol encountered more than 10 million illegal immigrants at our southern border, turning every single state into a border state,” Blackburn said. “The Biden-Harris administration also exacerbated the problem by trying to stop the use of measures that help secure the border, including shipping containers and razor wire. This legislation would give border states the explicit authority to protect their communities and help stop the flow of traffickers, drugs, and criminals at the southern border.”
If enacted, the legislation would:
- Grant states the legal authority to deploy temporary physical barriers on federal land to deter illegal crossings.
- Provide states with additional resources to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling.
- Limit federal intervention in state-level border security efforts.
The introduction of these bills comes amid ongoing debates over immigration policies and border security, which have remained key issues in the national conversation. Supporters of the legislation argue that stricter measures are necessary to prevent crime and protect public safety, while critics contend that such policies could lead to racial profiling and hinder asylum seekers from accessing legal pathways to residency.
Both bills are expected to face rigorous debate in the Senate as lawmakers weigh the balance between national security and immigration policy reform.
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