OP-ED: Keep the promise on the wall

When discussing matters of national security and threats to America, most people immediately think of overseas terrorists plotting destruction of our homeland or North Korea's building up its nuclear program.

But there is an equally grave threat: our unsecured southern border with Mexico.

Living in a border state, my constituents and I fully comprehend these dangers. We, too, experience the violence of cartels, drug and human trafficking, and increased drug activity.

The risks do not stop there. Former Department of Homeland Security secretary John Kelly acknowledged the threat of even radical terrorists slipping across our porous border.

I recently traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to see just how unsecured it is. Although I have visited the border at many sections on numerous occasions, this trip again shocked and upset me.

In many places, the "border" was a single post or wire barely lifted off the ground. In other places, the restraint was so worn, its existence was not worth the sorry sight.

The Border Patrol agents I conversed with that day told me a wall is needed to keep illegal aliens out of our country — along with additional Border Patrol agents, a road along the border wall for patrol and enhanced technology. These agents are tired of being tasked with defending miles of fence posts and wire that provide little obstruction.

During 2016, President Trump realized the threat of our unsecure border and gave it the attention it deserves. The American people trusted him and were willing to give him that opportunity.

I am proud that he has followed through on his promises to fully execute federal immigration laws. I am hopeful that the Republican Congress, many of whom also campaigned on "building the wall," will keep their commitments.

It is easy for politicians to sit in secure buildings and debate the merits of a border wall. For the safety of all Americans, I hope our leaders will answer the calls of countless Americans facing the dangerous consequences of an open border and finally build the wall.