Arkansas's Congressmen French Hill and Steve Womack sent out responses after the address, both of which supported President Trump's stance on border security and the shutdown.

Tensions are high across America as the second-longest government shutdown in American history continues. After 18 days and no sign of resolve, President Trump addressed Americans today, Jan. 8, discussing his reasoning behind the shutdown and the border wall.

Arkansas's Congressmen French Hill and Steve Womack sent out responses after the address, both of which supported President Trump's stance on border security and the shutdown.

Hill's response:

“Whether or not Democrats want to acknowledge the facts, the reality is that we have an unsustainable security crisis at our southwest border. I've visited the border numerous times and seen with my own eyes the devastating human cost of having a porous border. Security experts agree that cracking down on illegal immigration, the drug trade, and human trafficking requires more miles of physical border barrier, enhanced technology, and personnel.

“Republicans are ready and willing to come to the table and negotiate in good faith with our Democratic colleagues. If we put the safety of the American people before political gamesmanship, I’m confident that we can find a practical solution that will save lives and end the partial government shutdown.”

Womack's response:

“The United States is facing both a humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border, and President Trump is responsibly pressing Democrats for resources to address border security. It is neither immoral nor wasteful – it’s a constitutional imperative. Just a few days removed from taking an oath to our Constitution, I stand with the President in supporting the safety and security of our nation.”

Border Statistics:

In four Customs and Border Protection sectors where physical barriers have been expanded -- El Paso, Yuma, Tucson, and San Diego -- illegal traffic has dropped by at least 90%.

In fiscal year 2018, U.S. Border Patrol seized or helped seize 282,000 pounds of cocaine, 248,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 6,500 pounds of heroin, and 2,400 pounds of fentanyl.

In 2018, over 17,000 adults arrested at the border had prior criminal records. This included over 6,000 gang members, a major number of those members were from MS-13.