Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), released the following statement after voting against the NO BAN Act and the Access to Counsel Act of 2021.
"We are facing a crisis at our southern border," said Burgess. "I will not argue against the need to do a serious overhaul of our immigration system; however, putting forward bills that continue to incentivize migrants to break our laws is not the solution."
"The NO BAN Act prevents any President from limiting entry into our country for certain foreign nationals. Last year, at the start of the pandemic, President Trump placed a ban on anyone coming from China in hopes of helping to slow the spread of this Coronavirus. This was not an easy decision but was necessary for the health of our nation. We should work to ensure that every President has the available tools to protect this country, not prevent them from doing so.
"The Access to Counsel Act allows access to a lawyer for anyone entering our country unlawfully, thus prolonging wait times for those entering the country legally, at the taxpayer’s expense. Our focus should be on policies that will encourage legal immigration rather than just reacting to mass illegal immigration."
