Rep. Louie Gohmert and President Donald Trump confer in the House chamber, Feb. 28, 2017. (Getty Images/Win McNamee)

(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Louie Gohmert (R.-Texas), a former Texas state judge who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a question-and-answer exchange with CNSNews.com that “there is a brazen invasion occurring at our border.”

“This is a serious humanitarian and national security crisis, and as immigration enforcement professionals have repeatedly affirmed, there is no effective solution to that crisis that doesn’t include a physical barrier along at least part of our southern border,” Gohmert told CNSNews.com.

“America and her citizens deserve to have a homeland that is secure, and all of us in Congress have a duty to provide that security,” he said.

“Those who are blocking the president’s efforts and our efforts to secure it,” he said, “ought to have the courage to take credit for all the damage, suffering and death their actions are allowing.”

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Here is the CNSNews.com Q&A with Rep. Gohmert:

CNSNews.com: What do you consider the single most pressing issue facing Congress today, and why?

Gohmert: Securing the border is the most pressing issue facing Congress. If you don’t have secure borders, you don’t have a country. Right now, there is a brazen invasion occurring at our border. Though overall numbers may have been down overall for last year, the last six months have seen record setting numbers of adults bringing in children. They have gotten word that with Democrats controlling the House, if they just bring a child, no matter whose child it is, they will get to stay. Sadly, cartels, drug traffickers and dangerous gangs have taken advantage of our porous borders for their own profit.

My friends in the Border Patrol tell me this week that because of the overwhelming numbers coming over the border there is no place to hold them. After catching them illegally entering, agents are ordered to release them once they get their information. This failure to secure this country places American lives at risk, with drug cartels in control of our border bringing in deadly drugs, ongoing violence and heinous sex trafficking.

This is a serious humanitarian and national security crisis, and as immigration enforcement professionals have repeatedly affirmed, there is no effective solution to that crisis that doesn’t include a physical barrier along at least part of our southern border. America and her citizens deserve to have a homeland that is secure, and all of us in Congress have a duty to provide that security. Those who are blocking the president’s efforts and our efforts to secure it ought to have the courage to take credit for all the damage, suffering and death their actions are allowing.

CNSNews.com: President Donald Trump is moving to fund the border wall by invoking the National Emergencies Act of 1976. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D.-Minn.) has tweeted that the next president should declare a national emergency “on day 1” to address “Climate Change.” Does a president have the unilateral power to take actions to address “Climate Change” under the National Emergencies Act?

Gohmert: The president and Congress have a constitutional duty to protect and defend this country—they do not have a duty to take away our constitutional rights based on climate models that have been repeatedly wrong. A good example is Al Gore giving dire warnings of studies showing the North Polar ice cap melting by 2013 or 2014. Though “Climate Change” is definitely real since we have it four times a year where I live in Texas, the Constitution does not permit moving us toward a totalitarian socialism in the name of anything including “Climate Change.”

For Republicans to say President Trump should not have declared a National Emergency because it may result in a Democrat violating the Constitution is nonsensical. As we saw during the Obama administration, they had no fear of blazing new unconstitutional trails without Republican precedent.

Rep. Louie Gohmert and Rep. Mark Meadows in front of the Capitol, Dec. 6, 2017. (Getty Images/Alex Wong)

CNSNews.com: How will it affect your state of Texas over the next five years if additional border wall is not funded and built?

Gohmert: The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that according to DHS status indicators, “over 282,000 criminal aliens have been booked into local Texas jails between June 1, 2011 and February 28, 2019, of which over 191,000 were classified as illegal aliens by DHS.”



Additionally, “Between June 1, 2011 and February 28, 2019, these 191,000 illegal aliens were charged with more than 299,000 criminal offenses which included arrests for 545 homicide charges; 33,082 assault charges; 5,779 burglary charges; 37,689 drug charges; 411 kidnapping charges; 16,119 theft charges; 23,914 obstructing police charges; 1,679 robbery charges; 3,516 sexual assault charges; 4,722 sexual offense charges; and 3,007 weapon charges. DPS criminal history records reflect those criminal charges have thus far resulted in over 122,000 convictions including 245 homicide convictions; 13,801 assault convictions; 3,176 burglary convictions; 18,105 drug convictions; 175 kidnapping convictions; 7,160 theft convictions; 11,421 obstructing police convictions; 1,021 robbery convictions; 1,731 sexual assault convictions; 2,376 sexual offense convictions; and 1,297 weapon convictions.”



These are devastating numbers and will surely increase exponentially as the numbers surge to all-time highs at the Texas-Mexico border. Sadly, having more criminal offenders in Texas means more crime and unnecessary heartbreak for countless people. However, the numbers of crimes by illegal aliens reported above will be reduced to ZERO if our border is completely secure. That is a tremendous amount of anguish and suffering by victims that does not have to happen, and we have the power to prevent it.

Rep. Louie Gohmert in the basement of the Capitol, Oct 28, 2015. (Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)

CNSNews.com: Other than President Trump's proposed border wall, what are the most effective actions the government can take to stem the flow of illegal aliens into the United States?

Gohmert: Preventing anyone crossing the border illegally and setting foot in the U.S. would be a good first step. Changing the law to require that all asylum claims must be made at a U.S. embassy in the foreigner’s country would be immensely helpful. Until then, having immigration judges stationed right at the border to insure immediate hearings for anyone claiming asylum would make a difference.

Mandating interior enforcement such as E-Verify would be another critical step, which would also ultimately safeguard American workers who are losing jobs and wages to illegal immigrants. Enforcing and expanding this type of system to every workplace will decelerate illegal immigration, certifying jobs are filled only by workers who are legally here. This is essential to removing the incentives which “pull” illegal immigrants into the U.S., which includes finding employment.

CNSNews.com: Do you believe the majority of the members in the House of Representatives want to secure the southern border of the United States against illegal crossers?

Gohmert: Unfortunately, too many of our Members of Congress have heard from the loudest advocates who want open borders, but not the majority who want secured borders. It appears all of the Democrats are standing united against securing our borders, while some may play lip service to their constituents and claim they support some form of border security. On top of those are a handful of Republicans who did not want President Trump elected and want to prevent his success at any cost, even though it means Americans will suffer.



It is ludicrous that the Democrats have clearly placed their political agenda before the protection of American lives. At every turn, they have obstructed our Commander-in-Chief from securing this nation’s borders and that is frankly appalling. The situation at the southern border is a true national emergency. There is nothing more important than our nation’s security.