Editor’s attention: This song was co -author: representative of Utah Stephanie Gricius.
In districts throughout America, families strive for their daily lives, never imagining that the shadow of violent cartels cannot enter their communities. But do not make a mistake, these ruthless organizations are not just a border problem. They are here, using financial gaps for road drugs, money laundering and destroys life. It is time to take a position, and Utah has the opportunity to run together with Oklahoma in the fight against these criminal enterprises.
The last four years have proved one thing: each country is now a border state. The lack of security of Biden-Harris administration within our national borders caused a nationwide crisis, forcing you to financial and social burden constrained to border regions. Illegal immigration and cartel activities are huge taxpayers’ economic settlements. According to the American immigration federation, the net cost of illegal immigration in 2023 in the United States amounted to at least $ 150.7 billion. Illegal immigration cost Utah taxpayers almost $ 931 million in 2023 alone, and every illegal stranger imposes an annual cost of $ 5,033 per state. These costs include health care, education and public services. This is unbalanced for local governments and countries, to the detriment of the American taxpayer.
But apart from economic costs, human costs are immeasurable. Fentanyl smuggled across the border by the same criminal organizations is destructive families and communities. The Department of Health and Social Welfare in Utah has recorded a 300% boost in the number of deaths related to Fentanyl over the past five years. Cartles actively employ illegal immigration as a smokescreen to press drugs deeper into the American communities.
Chaeting organ officers across the country are overwhelmed, healthcare systems are tense, and Fentanyl – trade in the same criminal organizations gaining from illegal immigration – kills our citizens at record rates. According to America First Policy Institute, only in 2021 the fentanyl height was caught at crossing our border to kill 2.5 billion people. We learned that the drug cartels ran an industry worth $ 13 billion just above our southern border.
Fortunately, under the robust leadership of President Trump, secretary of internal security Kristi Noem and former immigration and customs director, Tom Homan, he makes every effort to secure the border, overcome drug cartels and end human trafficking. According to customs and borders, we noticed a 36% decrease in fears on the southern border in January, thanks to their leadership. Despite this constant pursuit, so that America is unthreatening again, countries must accelerate and perform their part. At Utah House Bill 284 (HB 284) is a powerful tool to disrupt the cartel surgery and establish a precedent for the rest of the nation.
One of the basic financial lines of cartels is unregulated cable transfer services. Unlike customary banks, the cable transfer services provide little supervision, enabling illegal immigrants and traders to easily lie down money. This enables organized and human crime to develop. HB 284 introduces a 2% fee for international overflow transfers, disturbing these financial networks, while generating revenues to strengthen the security and support of law enforcement agencies.
This is not a dissatisfied concept – it is modeled after a very successful policy in Oklahomie. The fee for transferring 1% is currently generated by approximately USD 13 million per year, which helps finance taxpayers’ services. Considering that the illegal population of strangers in Utah is as estimated to 90,000 Oklahoma, the introduction of a 2% fee can significantly boost the financing of law enforcement, healthcare and education – sectes that are directly affected by illegal immigration and cartel.
Each financial deterrent increases the costs and risk for bad entities. If cable transfers become less attractive because of the fee, law enforcement authorities may boost financial control to alternative message systems. Cash alternatives are not as velvety or anonymous as digital transfers, forcing traders to more risky, more detectable transactions. Oklahoma’s experience proves that this policy makes crime more steep and uncomfortable. This is a victory for citizens who follow the law.
Utah is not alone in recognizing the strength of this approach. JD Vance Vice President, while serving in the US Senate, introduced a federal law, a federal project proposing a 10% fee for transferring illegal activities and recovering lost tax revenues. Other states, including Ohio, are considering similar rules. Utah may direct the fee at state level, proving that proactive measures can stop illegal activity and generate critical revenues to counteract its side effects. Other states should absolutely follow him.
When the states are inactive, drug cartels and human trafficking develop. Criminals employ feeble policies, gaps and political inactivity to maintain their activities. Utah takes a position. The House 284 Act strongly declares that illegal actions and exploitation will encounter zero tolerance.
This account may and will be a national model of fighting the influence of the cartel, securing state resources and ensuring that the price of illegal activity is too high to ignore it. This is more than legislative measures. It is a call to act for Utah and the nation. This is our opportunity to show President Trump and his administrations that we are behind him and that we will cooperate with him to defend our communities and lead America in the fight against cartels and illegal trade.
Ashley Hayek is the president of America First Works, former director of the Trump 2020 campaign and the author of Beat the Elites. Stephanie Gricius is a republican representative of the state in Utah.
