It’s been 23 years since radical Islamic terrorists murdered nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. The innocent victims we lost on 9/11 weren’t just numbers. They were mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, daughters and sons. Many were heroes who risked their lives to save others. Each year on Patriot’s Day, we recommit as a nation to honoring their memories with our words and our actions.
We remember the Nebraskans we lost on that terrible day. Julie Geis of Beaver Crossing, Monte Hord of Central City, and Jennifer Dorsey Howley of Lincoln were working in the World Trade Center when it was hit. Dorsey Howley was expecting her first child. Captain Larry Getzfred of Elgin died while serving as the senior watch officer in the Pentagon’s Navy Command Center. These lives were taken way too soon.
Patriot’s Day is also a sobering reminder of the dangers Americans continue to face at home and around the world. Serious threats to our safety and security still exist. In the past year, we’ve been reminded of that many times.
Last October 7th, Hamas launched a heinous terror attack on Israel. Hamas terrorists killed 1,195 innocent women and men. This includes 40 American citizens. The terrorists kidnapped over 200 people and held them hostage. Eleven months later, at least 97 people have yet to be returned. This includes seven Americans. We fear many of them have already been killed. We must not rest until every person is brought home and Hamas surrenders.
Sadly, those who wish to do us harm aren’t just overseas. We must also remain vigilant of the threats here at home. When asked last year about domestic terrorist threats, the FBI Director said: “I see blinking lights everywhere.”
The most obvious is caused by the catastrophe at our southern border. The Biden-Harris administration’s open borders policies have left us less safe. Last Fiscal Year, there were 169 encounters with individuals on the terror watchlist at the Southern border between ports of entry. This is a huge increase compared to the years of the Trump administration. Under President Trump, the annual number of encounters with individuals on the terror watchlist was often in the single digits.
These individuals were stopped at our border. However, we’ve repeatedly seen others with ties to radical terror groups slip through the cracks. Last year, a man on the terrorist watch list from Afghanistan was caught after crossing our border illegally. Border Patrol released him into our country. This suspected terrorist spent almost a year roaming freely before he was arrested. Even then, the Biden-Harris administration released him. They failed to inform the judge of his connections to terrorism. Only after media coverage of his case was he arrested again, just 24 hours later. This staggering incompetence put innocent lives at risk.
The incompetence doesn’t end there. In June, eight Tajik nationals with ties to ISIS were arrested because of concerns they were plotting a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The men had illegally crossed our southern border and had applied for asylum. Because of the Biden-Harris administration’s policies, they were released into the U.S. on parole. This administration is so committed to illegal immigration that it’s allowing in people who may be plotting a terror attack against Americans. It’s crazy! It must be stopped.
The federal government’s most fundamental responsibility is to keep the American people safe. Instead, we’ve seen over three years of open border policies. It’s created a national security catastrophe at our southern border. It’s emboldened our adversaries around the world and allowed terror groups like Hamas to become stronger.
The anniversary of September 11th must be a reminder that we need to do better. The federal government needs leaders that will make our safety a top priority. We need more Peace Through Strength and less weakness and appeasement. I’ll keep fighting for policies that strengthen our security at the border, throughout our nation, and around the world.
My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224. You can also view my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.