As I meet with constituents across New York’s 23rd Congressional District, it’s clear that our border security is a significant concern for many, especially now that the Left’s new solution is converting schools into housing for illegal immigrants.

The communities I represent in Western New York and the Southern Tier take great pride in their children and schools. When Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced their plan to take over campuses across the state, it struck many parents, including me, as an insult. Our investment of billions of taxpayer dollars into award-winning schools like SUNY Fredonia would be thrown away to become migrant camps.

That’s why I voted to pass both H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, a comprehensive border security bill, and H. Res. 461, legislation condemning the use of elementary and secondary schools as housing facilities for migrants who enter the United States illegally. In advocating for our students and communities affected by illegal immigration, we must address our failing border security and immigration system.

Under President Biden, millions of illegal immigrants have crossed our southern border, and more than 1.5 million have not been apprehended by Border Patrol. This cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.

Until the Biden Administration has demonstrated operational control of our southern border, we must address the Democrat’s disturbing trend of turning schools into makeshift migrant housing. This issue directly impacts the education and well-being of our children. By repurposing our schools, we compromise their safety, disrupt their education, and undermine the very essence of the institution itself. The primary focus of our schools should be on providing quality education, not on serving as de facto migrant shelters. It is both unjust and detrimental to force our children to bear the burden of a broken immigration system.

H. Res. 461 sends a clear message that our nation values the education and well-being of our children above all else. It demands that we prioritize the needs of our own citizens and legal residents, ensuring that our educational institutions remain spaces for learning and growth, not as a buffer for failed border security.

However, it is essential to recognize that the solution to this problem lies not in repurposing our schools but in reforming our immigration policies. H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, would not only equip Border Patrol with the tools they need, but it will reform our immigration policies to protect unaccompanied children, end catch and release, and strengthen the asylum process. These critical measures restore integrity to our immigration system, providing concrete solutions that prioritize the safety of our citizens and the rule of law.

Both H. Res. 461 and H.R. 2 have passed the House and have yet to be considered by the Senate. I urge my colleagues in the Upper Chamber to join the House in addressing our border crisis and condemning the misuse of our schools as housing facilities for migrants who enter the United States illegally. Doing so would send a strong message to our communities, our nation, and the world that we value our students and educational institutions and take our national security seriously.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy represents the 23rd Congressional District of New York, including Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties and parts of Erie County.