"Familial" DNA testing was first implemented during the Trump administration following a court order related to the separation of migrant children from their families – as well as evidence showing that drug cartels were using children to create fake family units to sneak illegal immigrants across the border.
But a U.S. Customs and Border Protection memo obtained by Just The News in May revealed the Biden administration's detailed decision to end the testing at the border. In response, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) introduced legislation aimed at reinstating it.
"As many as 30% of children DNA tested were found not to be related to the illegal immigrants posing as family members," she relayed. "Meanwhile, drug cartels and gangs use minors to falsely present themselves as family units and seek asylum at our southern border. The Biden administration's decision to halt all DNA familial testing is a grave misstep that not only puts the safety of Americans at risk, but also increases the number of migrant children being trafficked."
On Washington Watch Wednesday, the senator reported that that human trafficking, overseen by the drug cartels, has grown from a $500 million a year business in 2019 to a $150 billion a year business now.
"These women are all being put into sex trafficking. You've got all of your sanctuary cities now complaining about an elevated level of prostitution rings in their cities," Blackburn told show host Tony Perkins.
Once the cartels achieve their goal of getting an adult into the U.S., children are commonly sent back across the cartel-controlled southern border to reappear as part of another fake family.
"No one and nothing comes across that border without a stamp of approval from the cartel," she said, adding that they also have a presence in every state in the U.S.
"What we know is that you've had 108,000 Americans die of drug overdoses, primarily fentanyl," Blackburn noted. "China sends the precursors into Mexico to the labs. They make the fentanyl there, and the drug cartels are the ones who are distributing this. The cartels are now active on U.S. soil."
Fentanyl was responsible for more than 70,000 U.S. deaths in 2022, according to USAFacts.
Her legislation, she said, would "stop criminals in their tracks" and help protect children from exploitation – an idea Blackburn believes everyone should support.
Continuing government business
AFN recently noted that pushing big bills is a "dishonest" political strategy used by Democrats and some Republicans, but new House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is prioritizing a return to the "regular order" of passing individual spending bills.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) told Washington Watch on Tuesday that getting there will take some time.
"What I would argue for the House is to give the Senate enough time to pass our bills as individually as possible, and then conference the two," Ron Johnson said. "We certainly ought to do a CR that takes us past the end of the year so we don't have this pressure under Christmas break, and then we may have to give us some more time so that we can pass appropriation bills in a more thoughtful manner, giving them more scrutiny in both chambers, and then conference those."
Along those lines, Republicans appear likely to agree to a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend the business of governing when the Nov. 17 deadline arrives.
"It's the only way we start returning to regular order," Johnson added.
When it comes to the humanitarian, governmental, and military money going to Ukraine, Sen. Blackburn says accountability and transparency are needed, and she has pledged to oppose any massive piece of spending legislation.
"We are not going to vote for a big bill that we cannot have debate on," she said. "No one wants Vladimir Putin to win, but we need accountability on these dollars."
