U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida's 13th Congressional District (R) stated that current border policy "ignores serious criminals" and terrorist groups entering the United States. Rep. Luna made the statement on July 1 in a post on X.

"Biden's border policies have not only ignored serious criminals committing crimes such as human, child, and drug trafficking but have ignored people involved in gangs and terrorist groups," said Paulina Luna, U.S. Representative of Florida's 13th Congressional District (R). "He has allowed this threat to our security as a nation."

The House Homeland Security Committee conducted a hearing in September 2023 on the state of the border, according to a press release. Tim Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security agent, said that in 2022, 152,000 unaccompanied children were encountered at the border and that many were likely to end up as victims of trafficking. "The most compassionate, humane thing to do is to enforce our borders as the laws require," Ballard said.

Luna's X post. | X

According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), cartels' drug trafficking and human smuggling operations gain nearly $1 billion per month. This money is being used to expand trafficking and forced labor operations across the southwest border into the United States.

A House Homeland Security Committee press release indicated that the number of individuals on the terror watchlist caught illegally crossing the border increased by 2,500% in 2023 compared to years 2017-2020 combined.

Rep. Luna has represented Florida's 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023, according to her bio. She serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Oversight and Accountability Committee.