Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, who represents the state’s Seventh Congressional District, was in Grand Forks on Wednesday at a meeting held by the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, who discussed their concerns with the U.S. border and the impact of related issues on North Dakota’s residents and communities.
Only Republicans on the bipartisan subcommittee attended, but several called it a bipartisan issue. One of the main concerns on the northern border is fentanyl trafficking, where a North Dakota law enforcement official said it is more profitable for traffickers on the northern border and that the drug can be sold for up to $80 for one pill, compared to 25 cents on the southern border.
Rep. Fischbach said Minnesota is facing the same issues as North Dakota on the border.
“This is about policies. The policies are wrong and the policies need to be changed,” stated Fischbach. “And I will say as we listen to that, President Biden has the opportunity to change this. He can do it right now. He can change these policies. He can return to the Trump administration’s policies and shut this border down. And we need to shut all of the border down, not just the southern border, but the northern border.”
The hearing on Wednesday, titled “The Biden Border Crisis: North Dakota Perspectives,” was held at the Alerus Center. It was an official meeting for the subcommittee.
