(VitalNews.org) – Texas GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is calling for drug cartels to be officially classified as terrorist organizations by the federal government, according to remarks made on Newsmax this Wednesday.
During his recent appearance on The Record, Gonzales told host Greta Van Susteren that a witness said during a hearing that cartels should be labeled “terrorist organizations” because they terrorize people. Gonzales agreed with the comment, which he said he’s also been saying “for two years,” that it must be yelled “from the rooftops,” and that “it’s time” to hold cartels accountable for the harm they inflict.
Another issue that must be addressed to slow down the influx of migrants into the U.S., according to Gonzales, is how many who are seeking political asylum don’t qualify. He claims that “nine out of ten” of the people “coming over illegally” seek asylum yet don’t qualify for it. Gonzales said migrants should stop being sent “down that route,” and that the main purpose of their migration is economic.
Gonzales is personally invested in the issue because his district covers over 40% of the border between Texas and Mexico, which spans a distance of 823 miles.
In an effort to keep the story of what’s happening at the border alive, Gonzales says he’s hosted over 100 Congress members in his district to show them what’s happening. He believes getting the message out to voters that Republicans support legal immigration while Democrats support allowing them in illegally will be a winning message.
Gonzales mentioned completing the border wall, which he says will certainly help but “will not work” by itself to secure the area. He said what’s needed is “manpower” and “technology”— that there must “be a system.”
The congressman also said his colleagues should stop handing “blank checks” to the Department of Homeland Security in hopes that it will fix the issue. This is not a problem one can simply throw money at.
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