Press Releases

Grothman Cosponsors Bill to Ensure Immigration Law is Upheld

Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) this week became an official co-sponsor of the Prohibiting Local Airports from Neglecting Enforcement (PLANE) Act. The bill, introduced by Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL), would withhold federal aviation grants from any airport that refuses to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In order to carry out federal immigration law, ICE contracts charter airlines to assist in flying immigrants back to their home countries. King County International Airport in Seattle, WA is one of the airports regularly utilized by this program. The airport has recently announced that they intend to ban flights carried out by ICE and hope that other airports will follow their example. Under the PLANE Act, King County International Airport, and any airport who follows their lead, would forfeit their federal aviation grants by refusing to comply with federal law.

“ICE is full of men and women in uniform who are committed to protecting our country.” Said Grothman. “It has, unfortunately, recently become fashionable for some to villainize ICE and claim they are an evil organization bent on ruining the lives of immigrants. This could not be further from the truth.

ICE both enforces our immigration laws and sends law-breakers back to their home countries. This includes individuals who have illegally come to our country intending to sell drugs and participate in human trafficking. By refusing to comply with federal laws, these airports would encourage more dangerous criminals to flock to these communities because of the lack of consequences for breaking the law. I’ve heard people say that everybody wants to secure our borders, but that just isn’t true when you look at how many local officials are encouraging their community to break federal immigration laws. I believe that this blatant disregard for the rule of law has aided in the increase of illegal border crossings.

Now is the time to respect the men and women of ICE and uphold our immigration laws. I hope that this bill is swiftly brought to the House floor for a vote in order to uphold the law of the land and keep American citizens safe.”

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U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is serving his third term representing Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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