Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., told reporters on Saturday that protecting Americans begins with securing the nation’s borders, calling congressional funding for immigration enforcement agencies “absolutely critical” to public safety.
Speaking on “Wake Up America Weekend,” Steube backed a $70 billion immigration enforcement package that would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.
“We don’t want open borders as Republicans. We want safety and security,” Steube said.
“And that starts with having a secure nation, that starts at our border,” he added.
Steube argued that removing illegal immigrants and strengthening immigration enforcement are essential to protecting the country.
“Having people that shouldn’t be in our country and having ICE agents and Border Patrol to get them out of our country, I think, is paramount,” Steube stated.
The Florida congressman blamed former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies for creating security risks, noting that “50,000 Chinese Communist Party individuals” and “over 400 people on the terrorist watch list” entered the United States during Biden’s presidency.
“And they just let them stay here,” Steube said.
“So now Trump’s got to come back and clean up the mess that Joe Biden left,” he remarked.
Steube expressed surprise that support for border security and immigration enforcement has become politically divisive.
“It’s just fascinating to me,” he said. “Republicans and Democrats used to support having a secure border, used to support our federal law enforcement agents.”
He criticized lawmakers who opposed funding for immigration enforcement, stating they were voting against “the very Border Patrol agents and ICE agents that keep our country safe.”
Steube also condemned anti-ICE riots outside a detention facility in New Jersey, calling the attacks on law enforcement officers and horses “a disgrace.”
“All those people should be in prison,” Steube said.
“You have the right to peacefully protest. You do not have the right to assault law enforcement officers, to throw objects at law enforcement horses, or to impede law enforcement work,” he added.
The congressman further stated that he and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., have introduced legislation to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, saying members should be targeted “for the domestic terrorists that they are.”
