DALLAS, Texas — Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) explained to Townhall what the United States can do to solve the immigration problem after the border can be secured if the Republicans can take back the House in the upcoming 2022 midterms.
While border security has taken a backseat during the Biden administration, the GOP has been unified in calling to reimplement former President Trump's policies, like the border wall system and the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as "Remain in Mexico." Weber said Congress can do more to address the root causes of illegal immigration so people don't feel the need to leave their home countries.
"The root causes are this, in my opinion, number one: Obviously, there are poor nations south of us and they would love to be in America. Congress sets the immigration and naturalization laws. We set the numbers, the reasons they can come over," Weber said. "The drug cartels in Mexico...have figured out that they bring everybody across."
"What needs to happen is, and Trump had this down, if you want to request asylum in the United States, you need to do it in your home country. We don't have the wherewithal as a country, legally and financially, to check out everybody's story back in their country. You go to that embassy in that country and you let them hear about why you need asylum."
Weber noted people can only qualify for asylum if they are being persecuted for their faith or by their government.
"Not because there's a lot of drugs in your country, I'm sorry. Not because you're afraid of the drug lords, I'm sorry. America is a great country, but we cannot be the charity for the whole world. If we address those underlying root causes, we could change that immigration law."
Weber added the ongoing border crisis will not get better as long as Democrats control the House, but praised the state of Texas for taking steps, like building barriers, to address the problem.
"As long as the Democrats want open borders and they want us to be like the European Union, for example, no. They've got their heads stuck in the sand. They won't agree that there is a crisis," he said.