Republican Lawmakers Introduce "Defend Our Borders From Armed Invaders Act"

The bill, if passed, would empower the National Guard to use lethal force against armed individuals attempting to cross the southern border into the United States.

The bill was introduced by freshman Representative Morgan Luttrell, a Republican from Texas, and has since been forwarded to the Committee on Armed Services for further review. The full text of the legislation has not yet been made public, but a brief description of the bill indicates that it would authorize the National Guard to take "such actions as may be necessary to repel persons attempting to enter the United States from Mexico who are carrying weapons, and for other purposes."

Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL, stated that the legislation is a necessary measure to curb the activities of cartels and smugglers who are exploiting the "wide-open border." He said, "We’re seeing violent crime continually escalate at the border and flow into our communities, as President Biden’s policies have created an untenable national security crisis." He further added that the legislation is a step towards curbing this crime by empowering the National Guard to stop these armed individuals from crossing into the United States "by any means necessary."

 WATCH: BEFORE SEINFELD MCDONALD'S FEATURING GEORGE COSTANZA BACK IN 1985

Cartels and human traffickers have been known to use weapons to facilitate the illegal crossing of immigrants across the southern border, as well as for drug trafficking. In August, Fox News obtained images of suspected cartel gunmen crossing the U.S. southern border in Texas, armed with body armor and rifles. This is the same area where five suspected members of the Northeast Cartel were arrested in June.

 WATCH: THE APPRENTICE FEATURING MELANIA AND 2-MONTH-OLD BARRON

February 04, 2024

The Biden administration has taken several steps to combat cartel smuggling, including a collaborative law enforcement anti-smuggling campaign in 2022 that resulted in thousands of arrests. The administration has also issued over 170 sanctions against cartel leaders and members, often in collaboration with Mexico.

 BANNON'S CONTEMPT CASE HEATS UP AS PRISON GATES SWING OPEN

This legislative move by Luttrell comes amidst a multi-faceted legal battle between Texas and the federal government over how to address the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken control of state property along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, known as Shelby Park, while the Biden administration has won a Supreme Court decision allowing Border Patrol to cut razor wire erected by the state. Despite this, Texas continues to fortify the border and has indicated that it will not comply with the administration’s demands to vacate the Shelby Park area.

 PLAYING WITH FIRE: BIDEN PLAYS DANGEROUS GAME BY CONTINUOUSLY DENYING RFK JR. SECRET SERVICE (WATCH)

Governor Abbott stated on Thursday, "[President Biden's] actions have caused an unprecedented invasion that we must defend against." The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report for fiscal 2023 shows that the number of illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket has surged from 3.7 million in FY 2021 to nearly 4.8 million in FY 2022, and is projected to reach nearly 6.2 million in FY 2023.

The bill is being co-sponsored by Representatives Chuck Fleischman of Tennessee, Chuck Edward of North Carolina, Brian Babin of Texas, Michael Guest of Mississippi, Mike Collin of Georgia, and Brandon William of New York.