ARLINGTON, Va., March 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, a group of Montana state lawmakers visited the U.S.-Mexico border with NumbersUSA, the nation's largest grassroots organization focused solely on immigration.

During the two-day trip, Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-1), Rep. Steven Galloway (R-24), Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway (R-22), Rep. Braxton Mitchell (R-3), and candidate Jason Gunderson (R-58) toured the Yuma, El Centro, and San Diego border sectors with Andrew Good, NumbersUSA's Director of State Government Relations, and saw the extent of the crisis.

"The Biden administration's lax border policies have empowered drug cartels and created a new kind of slavery," reported Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway. "Illegal immigrants spend years paying off their debt to the smugglers who brought them."

Montana's visiting legislators saw plenty of illegal entries. "We encountered almost 100 migrants crossing in one group," marveled Rep. Steven Galloway. "They had clean clothes and shoes and couldn't have walked far. It's ridiculous how easy this administration has made illegal entry into our country. This group was the second that day, with another expected shortly."

"I'd hoped things at the border weren't as bad as the clips I've seen suggest," Rep. Mitchell admitted. "But the reality is, we're in a full-blown crisis. We need to shut down the southern border and build the wall immediately."

Given what they've seen, Montana lawmakers are eager to pursue policies that'd eliminate illegal immigration -- as soon as their 2025 legislative session begins.

"After seeing the situation firsthand, I can't imagine how our southern border has become so porous," concluded Rep. Steve Gunderson. "The same goes for Montana's northern border with Canada. Our immigration policies need to be seriously overhauled."

"Border Patrol is doing a great job," added Jason Gunderson. "They're doing enforcement. They're doing humanitarian work. But the system they're working inside is broken. It's really unfair to them. We need to fix that."

"Every state is effectively a border state," agreed Andrew Good. "It's up to Montana to ensure Big Sky Country doesn't become the next hot spot for illegal migration."

To schedule an interview with Andrew Good, contact Emeline McClellan at  375050@email4pr.com or (202) 970-9742.

About NumbersUSA

NumbersUSA supports a balanced immigration system that welcomes the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, is responsive to acute refugee crises, attracts those with extraordinary ability and talents, addresses temporary labor shortages, protects the most vulnerable, and is enforced. NumbersUSA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that believes better immigration policy is possible. Focused exclusively on immigration reform, NumbersUSA is America's largest single-issue advocacy group with over 8 million grassroots members and supporters spread across every congressional district. Founded solely by Roy Beck in 1996 to promote civil debate on the immigration recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform -- chaired by civil rights icon Barbara Jordan -- NumbersUSA continues to advocate for sensible immigration policies that ensure Americans' safety, promote economic fairness, while conserving the environment and quality of life.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE NumbersUSA