OPINION
For years, Democrats told Americans that the crisis at our southern border was unsolvable.
We were lectured that chaos was inevitable, that enforcing the law was "cruel," and that national sovereignty became an outdated concept.
The results of that thinking were catastrophic: record-breaking illegal crossings, overwhelmed communities, fentanyl flooding our streets, and a federal government appearing unwilling to defend the nation's most basic boundary.
One year into President Donald Trump's return to the White House, that era is over.
Border security is no longer a talking point.
It's a reality.
In just 12 months, President Trump reestablished control over the southern border and restored the principle that a nation without borders is no nation at all.
From our seats in Congress, we've stood shoulder to shoulder with the president's agenda:
—We didn't hedge.
—We didn't hide.
—We backed the policies the American people demanded.
Additionally, we used every tool available to help make them law:
—We advanced funding for border wall construction and border technology.
—We ended catch-and-release for good.
—We empowered Border Patrol and ICE, rather than weaken them.
When Democrats and activists tried to slow-walk enforcement, we held hearings, demanded answers — keeping the pressure on.
This is what it means to be the party of law and order.
Republicans enforce the law because public safety, national sovereignty, and legal immigration only work when the law actually means something.
The shift began on day one.
Trump ended the policies that turned Border Patrol into travel agents.
He reinstated and expanded the "Remain in Mexico" framework, making clear that those who seek asylum must do so lawfully and outside the United States.
He resumed border wall construction, not as a symbol, but as infrastructure.
Physical barriers work.
They stop illegal crossings, channel movement, and give agents the advantage.
Pretending otherwise was always radical ideological theater.
The Trump administration empowered law enforcement again.
Border Patrol agents are no longer handcuffed by Washington bureaucrats.
They're allowed to do their jobs.
—Morale has surged.
—Recruitment is up.
—Attrition is down.
When the men and women on the front lines know their government has their back, they perform their best.
The results are undeniable.
Illegal crossings have plummeted from the historic highs of the previous administration.
Smuggling routes have been disrupted.
Cartels are being squeezed.
Of equal importance, our nation's 47th commander in chief reframed the national conversation.
Border security is now recognized for what it is: a fundamental duty of government.
Compassion does not mean lawlessness.
America remains the most generous nation on Earth.
But generosity without order is self-destruction and the fentanyl crisis illustrates this perfectly. Synthetic Chinese-made opioids pouring across the border have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, hollowed out towns, and devastated families.
Under President Trump, border enforcement is now treated as a public health imperative.
Enhanced inspections, targeted operations against trafficking networks, and cooperation with state authorities have begun to turn the tide.
In Congress, we reinforced that effort with oversight and legislation aimed squarely at the cartels and the enablers who profit from misery.
Critics predicted economic ruin, international backlash, and moral collapse.
None of it happened.
What did happen is the law began to matter again.
Employers gained clarity.
States regained breathing room.
Immigrant communities who followed the rules saw fairness restored.
Even many migrants themselves now understand that the era of false promises is over.
Trump's approach isn't radicalism. It's normalcy.
Every serious nation enforces its borders.
What was radical was the Democratic Party's experiment in managed disorder.
That experiment failed spectacularly, with the American people paying the price.
This first year has proven something essential: the border crisis was never inevitable. It was a choice. And it has now been reversed by another choice, the choice to govern.
President Trump ran on a promise to secure the border.
He acted. And in Congress, we stood with him, and still do.
One year in, America once again controls who enters its territory.
That's the type of common sense our constituents expect us to champion in Congress.
House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain represents Michigan’s 9th Congressional District and Congressman Abraham J. Hamadeh represents Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.
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