On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee held a field hearing in Milwaukee on "The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Wisconsin Perspectives." Since January 2021, we have had a record number of illegal border crossings, and it has spread all over the U.S.
We see these effects of increased illegal migration nationwide on the news in places like Chicago and New York, where there are huge populations of new migrants. Whether it is an increase in crime, drug overdose deaths, strains on local resources, or lower test scores in schools due to the rapid influx of non-english speaking students who need special attention, the open border policies of this administration have been taxing.
Less covered by the media is the effect this increased illegal migration has had on smaller communities who are also bearing the brunt. Since 2022, Whitewater, Wisconsin, has seen an increase in the number of foreign nationals, primarily from Nicaragua and Venezuela, settling in the community. The Whitewater Police Department estimates that up to 1,000 individuals have arrived in less than two years, noting the strain this has caused on Whitewater, a small town of just 15,000. This small city has seen an increase in serious crimes involving some of those migrants, including numerous sexual assaults and sexual assaults of juveniles, a kidnapping, and the tragic death of an infant child.
During the hearing, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney highlighted the issues affecting communities in the Sixth District. In 2024, Fond du Lac County has experienced two significant incidents leading to three illegal immigrants being charged with serious crimes, an attempted murder and a human trafficking case.
With all these documented cases of migrant crime, I was curious where the data was gathered that has led some to say illegal migrants have relatively low crime rates. What I was told by District Attorney Toney and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt is that law enforcement doesn't have immediate access to information about a suspect's citizenship status when a crime occurs. So, since law enforcement, both police and prosecutors, don’t know the immigration status of the individual in custody, claims that illegal migrants have relatively low crime rates are not rooted in data. The Center for Immigration Studies has a study of how data from Texas has been skewed into this narrative, too.
I thank Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) for chairing this important hearing in our state. The last four years have taught us that every state is a border state, and I will continue to do all I can to shed light on the border crisis and work to pass tough, commonsense legislation that will actually address the issues we face at our borders and discourage people crossing illegally.
To watch my questioning, click below.
