I want to use my column this week to further address some of the issues these students were protesting. While interviewing with the American people for his current job, now-President Trump made his ambitions for the first 100 days of his presidency unequivocally clear:  focus on policies to spur growth and jobs, secure our border, and mitigate the rising threat of ISIS and other terror groups. And as is the case with all free and fair elections, his victory was the American people’s stamp of approval on his agenda. While the expediency with which he has moved may be catching some off guard, the goals themselves should not.

Since day one, the core tenant of his immigration policy has been the idea that we need a wall across our Southern Border. Last week, he acted on that by signing an executive order to address border security.

In the last Congress, I made it a point to study this issue extensively by traveling to three very diverse points of entry across our shared border with Mexico.

During my trips, I met with the men and women on the ground working for the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and local law enforcement to better asses the challenges they are facing on a daily basis. The 1,954 mile long border than spans from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean is made up of very diverse terrain, and needs a more comprehensive approach if we truly want to secure it. One of the key findings from my trips was that while the wall does its job in densely populated places like San Diego and El Paso, it would not be nearly as effective on other parts of the border.

Every sector along the border has its own unique geography, economy, and traditions in regards to the design of our border security. Cameras on towers along the river, motion sensors, observation towers in more rugged terrain, and strategic use of aerostats are all important technologies that need to be considered as part of our strategy for protecting the border. The Trump Administration shouldn’t make any final decisions without learning from the frustrated efforts of the Bush and Obama Administrations and seeking the advice of our Border Sector Commanders on the ground and policy experts at the House Homeland Security Committee.

The speed with which President Trump is working to deliver on his promises to the American people reached significant pushback from large sections of the population last weekend. The decision to suspend for four months the U.S. refugee resettlement program and to impose travel restrictions on those coming from seven countries including six war-torn countries with ties to terrorism and the number one state-sponsor of terrorism was much maligned.   

Some of the criticism of the unveiling and implementation is justified, namely the undue effect the order had on green card holders, those with other valid U.S. visas and travel documents, and those who have faithfully served our Nation like the Iraq War interpreter who was detained at JFK. While some inconvenience is acceptable in order to keep our homeland safe, denying those who have undergone the proper legal process to be here is not. To that end, I was pleased when Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced that the administration will allow waivers to let green card holders avoid the travel ban, making it clear the president is willing to work to fix shortcomings in the original decision.

However, much of what has been reported ignores many of the critical facts that help to better explain the intentions of the travel ban.  This Executive Order is not a “Muslim ban,” but instead a brief pause on admitting citizens from the war-torn countries that the Obama Administration designated as “countries of concern” due to terrorist threats.

Despite the fact that over the past two years we have heard extensive testimony from high ranking Obama Administration Officials, including FBI Director James Comey, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, on the lack of verification of critical data about refugees coming from of the war-torn countries of the Middle East, particularly Syria, these problems went largely ignored by the administration. The U.S. refugee resettlement program is one of the greatest humanitarian policies in the history of the world. Obama’s policies put the entire program at risk, and this short pause in refugee arrivals will help the new administration design an effective process for vetting. And, importantly, many press reports fail to note the administration's proposed 50,000 refugee admissions planned annually.

President Trump’s actions show he is serious about addressing a problem blatantly ignored by his predecessor while ensuring the protection of Americans and immigrants to the United States alike.

Much of the shrill reaction of last weekend can make it difficult to discern fact from fiction, but the ultimate fact is that America will remain a beacon of hope and land of opportunity for those facing persecution across the world.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill

This week, Rep. Hill introduced The Shift Back to Society Act, which would help those who have been incarcerated transition back into society and find meaningful employment. The bill would establish a pilot program to provide grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to implement educational programs for eligible offenders and help them successfully transition back into their communities.

The legislation would allocate $5 million per year for the program, would require no additional funding, and would ensure that funds already appropriated for the Department of Justice would be used to support the program.

Cosponsors of the bill include Rep. Cedric Richmond (LA-02), Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (NC-06), Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04), and Rep. Mia Love (UT-04).

Following introduction of the bill, Rep. Hill stated:

“This is an issue that transcends partisan boundaries, the United States currently spends $34,000 per year per inmate, a tab that is picked up by the taxpayer, and a number that is greatly affected by reoffenders. Addressing the problem of recidivism by encouraging hard work and opening up opportunities that can lead to employment benefits all of us. Any American in good standing with the law, regardless of previous offenses, deserves the opportunity to improve their own lives through the dignity of a job, while playing a role in the betterment of our society as a whole.”

Last Congress, one of  Rep. Hill's top priorities was working with groups and individuals in Arkansas who were committed to empowering all members of the community, particularly those living in areas most affected by poverty. These interactions lead to the creation of the Community Empowerment Initiative (CEI) in June 2015.

Over the course of the last year and a half, Rep. Hill held seven roundtables with over fifty groups representing different businesses, non-profits, churches, schools, and think thanks in our area.

Talking about CEI, Rep. Hill stated:

"Having these small, intimate brainstorming sessions is a good way to involve local community leaders in our federal priorities and to keep me informed on how I can help these local programs progress and succeed.

"I am excited to announce the creating of the CEI Blog which run once a month will update you on the happenings of CEI and the work being done in Congress to address poverty in our most underserved areas."

You can view the blog here.