Dems push back on GOP fentanyl claims during hearing with Mayorkas | The Hill

Senate Democrats on Tuesday made their most forceful push yet against narratives linking immigration and the fentanyl crisis, slamming Republicans for their attempts to entangle the two issues. Data shows the vast majority of fentanyl enters the U.S. through the cars of American citizens, a fact highlighted repeatedly by Democrats as GOP lawmakers increasingly cast blame at Mexico in the fight against fentanyl.  “Some are pushing the narrative that asylum seekers are smuggling fentanyl across the border when the facts tell a different story,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  “It is predominantly U.S. citizens entering illegally at ports of entry who are bringing these dangerous drugs into the United States. So it’s hard to understand why some have opposed funding for technology like non-intrusive inspection systems to help Customs and Border Protection officers to detect fentanyl in vehicles coming through these ports of entry. The reality is, DHS is working aggressively.”   Senators on Tuesday signaled a willingness to increase funding for equipment to screen for drugs at border checkpoints amid a steady surge in fentanyl deaths in recent years, a limited point of agreement as the parties remain highly divided over the border.  The consensus
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