Abraham co-sponsors bill that would help build a border wall, opponents respond

Immigration is a hot topic as the mid-term elections inch closer.

Republicans in Congress including Congressman Ralph Abraham, who is up for re-election, believes solving that problem starts with building a wall along the U.S. Mexico border.

"It's really no border at all. I've been down there to the El Paso border region and you know people can literally walk across and get into our country," Abraham said.

Abraham co-sponsored a bill that would fund a border wall along the U.S.- Mexico border. He said the border wall will keep the drug dealers, gang members, and human traffickers out of the country.

"We welcome legal residents and legal migrants into this country. This is what America was built on. We need legal immigration to fill seven-plus million jobs, so it's not that we are against legal immigration," Abraham said.

We asked his opponents their views. All four candidates are representing four different parties. But they said they all have the same goal, which is protecting people. Though, they do have different ways to see it done.

"You have about 7,500 invading now towards from South America towards the U.S Mexico border. You need to stop those there is a process that needs to be followed and laws on the books," Billy Burkette (I) said.

"I'm not fully opposed to the wall. I think if it will help number 45 there to compromise on other issues, then it's something I would consider," Jessee Carlton Fleenor (D) said.

One candidate said it's not the border that needs protection.

"It's a semantic game that's being played here that we need to keep our border safe. No, we need to keep our people safe," Kyle Randol (L) said.

Those who are for border control said a wall is just one way to do it, but not the only way.

"We're already spending millions of dollars in training our armed forces to fly drones. Why would we not utilize the training along the border?" Burkette (I) said.

"We need border security. I would think a smart wall would probably be a better way to go about it with motion sensors and the use of technology instead of building a 4-foot wall. The day after you build a 20 billion dollar wall on the border, 13-foot ladders are going to be flying off the shelves," Fleenor (D) said.

Randol (L):

"This is a nation of immigrants, and we wouldn't be the country we are if we didn't have good people coming in. And, we are stopping good people from coming in and treating them like criminals."

Abraham said this bill would be for 2019's fiscal year. For 2020-2025, money would continue to be provided unless it is specially withheld by Congress. He also said he is looking into running for Louisiana Governor.

P.O. Box 271 Archibald, LA 71218

Archibald, LA – Richland Parish

318-322-3500

Campaign website: https://www.ralphabraham.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanRalphAbraham/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RepAbraham

Congressional website: https://abraham.house.gov/

-Promised to donate his salary to charity

-Supports term limits for Congress.

-Started serving in 2015.

-Won reelection against Billy Burkette in 2016

21136 Hwy. 40 Loranger, LA 70446

985-878-9040

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteJessee/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VoteJessee

Website: https://votejessee.com/

-Running on platforms of inclusiveness and community and standing up to special interests.

-Family farmer

-Supports universal health care, more education funding, prison reform, net neutrality

-Against gerrymandering.

2207 Dogwood Dr. Monroe, LA 71201

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaCD5/

-Says he would take a pay decrease from the congressional salary of $170,000 to the median income of the 5th district: $36,718.

-Encourages others to run in the future

P.O. Box 249 Pride, LA 70770

225-244-2323

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbforcongress/

-Ran as a Republican in 2016. Now he's running as an Independent.

-He's from Pride, LA., which is in East Baton Rouge Parish.

-Believes in being personal with the public

-Arrested for impersonating a police officer just after he qualified in July.