Bill seeks to stop fentanyl trafficking across U.S. border

U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and eight colleagues are espousing the benefits of reintroducing the Stop Fentanyl Border Crossings Act.

Specifically, the legislation adds drug smuggling as an additional basis for Title 42 immigration enforcement authority, preserving for Border Patrol agents a tool to quickly remove illegal border crossers and halt the drug trafficking.

“The flow of fentanyl into Indiana from our southern border is causing Hoosier families to lose loved ones far too soon,” Young said. “Fentanyl is now killing more young Americans than cancer, car accidents, or COVID. This is a crisis that cannot be ignored.”

The lawmakers indicated fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45. Hagerty noted that 70,000 Americans die annually from drug overdoses—mostly from fentanyl flooding across the southern border.

“With the Biden Administration pushing to end Title 42 in May, it is unconscionable for Congress to stand aside and do nothing to preserve it,” Hagerty said. “And while I agree that the pandemic is over, there is a new epidemic plaguing our nation—one that demands immediate action. We cannot afford to allow this shockingly-lethal drug to continue wreaking havoc on our communities and killing our youth. Congress must take up and pass this commonsense legislation without delay—too many innocent American lives hang in the balance.”