Washington, D.C. – Earlier this month, an illegal immigrant was charged with attempted kidnapping, sexual battery, public intoxication, and evading arrest after he followed a woman into a bathroom at an ice cream shop in Nashville and groped her.
I led a letter with members of the Tennessee delegation to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding answers about the immigration status of 23-year-old Nelson Yovani Ortiz-Ramirez and why he was allowed to remain in the United States. Sadly, this incident is only the latest in a series of unconscionable acts by illegal immigrants who have entered our country.
If the Joe Biden administration actually enforced our immigration laws, these heinous acts could have been prevented. I will never vote to make illegal immigration legal.
Weekly Rundown
This week, I joined my Republican Judiciary Committee colleagues in writing a letter requesting that Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) schedule a mark-up of the bipartisan Laken Riley Act. This common-sense legislation will combat Biden’s reckless border policies by directing ICE to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country. We must prioritize American lives over illegal aliens and that starts with Congress taking meaningful action. The Laken Riley Act passed the House of Representatives on March 7, 2024, in a bipartisan vote of 251-170 – including 37 Democrats voting for the legislation. It is time for Senator Durbin to allow the Senate to debate legislation that will better protect the American people from the consequences of the Biden administration’s self-inflicted crisis at the southern border.
Ahead of the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug but were still allowed to compete. Many of these swimmers went on to win medals, including three gold medals, and are expected to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. I sent a letter to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka demanding his full cooperation with an independent investigation launched into the agency’s failure to enforce international anti-doping standards. We must hold WADA accountable and ensure that no country, including Communist China, is above the rules.
It was an honor to attend a Memorial Day ceremony in Spring Hill. I hope that Tennesseans spent time with family last weekend remembering the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting to protect our freedoms.
Marsha’s Roundup
ICYMI
- Last week, Senate Democrats blocked my attempt to pass the End Child Trafficking Now Act by unanimous consent. Last year, the Joe Biden administration reportedly ended all familial DNA testing at the border. My legislation would require DNA testing and help protect children from exploitation – a policy both Republicans and Democrats should support. Read more here.
- If you are planning on traveling abroad this summer, now is the perfect time to renew your passport. If you need further assistance, please contact one of my six state offices.
**Disclaimer: To comply with U.S. Senate Policy, the Blackburn Report will not be distributed again until August. **
