While national news continues to focus on the illegal immigration crisis along America’s southern border, a group of likeminded Members of Congress are actively working to support policies and programs aimed at securing another area of vulnerability in our country – the 5,525 mile border between the United States and Canada.
This group are members of the Northern Border Caucus. Established in February 2023 and comprised of two dozen Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the caucus’ mission is to advocate for secure borders and raise awareness of immigration issues for the 13 states which share a border with our neighbor to the North.
Ripon Forum Deputy Editor Caroline Banaszak recently sat down with one of the members of the Caucus, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber. Elected in 2018, Stauber represents the 6th District of Minnesota. Prior to his election, he spent over 20 years as a police officer in his hometown of Duluth, where he was not only the victim of two violent gun crimes, but gained a first-hand understanding of why more must be done to support law enforcement and create safer communities in the United States.
In our conversation with him, we asked Stauber about the ongoing challenges at the northern border, which policies do and don’t work, and the overall shift he has seen since President Trump took office in January. We also couldn’t have this conversation without asking the Congressman about his thoughts on how illegal immigration – and the crimes that come along with it, such as fentanyl trafficking – are impacting America’s relationship with Canada.
He also shared his prescription for the northern border compared to the southern border. We also touched on the state’s many “sanctuary cities” and what he sees them as. Finally, we asked him what the people of Minnesota’s Eighth District’s biggest concern is as they deal with the effects of illegal immigration and what he is doing to solve these problems.
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RF: To kick things off, you are an active member of the Northern Border Caucus. Could you talk about the mission of the caucus and some of its key goals in the coming year?
Stauber: The Northern Border Caucus was established during the invasion of our southwest border. Under the prior administration, we had agents either physically sent down to our southern border or they were in processing at their northern border offices. They weren’t out and about enforcing border protection – we were losing border patrol agents.
I’m part of the Grand Fork sector, which extends from the western edge of North Dakota to Grand Portage, Minnesota – a 600-plus mile stretch. There were times that there were only two mobile agents patrolling that area. That was devastating because we know that many of the illegals and terrorists were coming through our wide-open northern borders.
When we saw that, those of us that represent northern border communities decided to get together, and we really wanted to put an emphasis on securing our northern border; because we know that criminals are like water — they’re going to follow the least resistant route, and at times it was our northern border.
So, when everybody was focused on our southwest border, our northern border didn’t seem to get the attention, and we knew that we needed to do something.
We know that criminals are like water. They’re going to follow the least resistant route, and at times it was our northern border.
RF: Under the Biden administration, encounters at the northern border increased more than 600 percent from 2021 to 2024. Have you noticed a stark contrast in illegal immigration rates from the Trump and Biden administrations?
Stauber: We’re receiving reports from the Border Patrol that, with increased focus on the northern border, resorts in northern Minnesota are seeing security helicopters patrolling the area in conjunction with our neighboring friends in Canada. Canada understands that it has to help the U.S. secure the border to stop illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking, because what was happening is a result of U.S. resources being relocated for crossings at the southwest border.
Many illegals first flew into the country of Canada and then came through our northern border because they felt that would be the easiest route. However, we’re seeing that type of activity plummet since President Trump has come into office. Illegal crossings are down about 94 percent. It’s the lowest in about 40 years.
I talked to Paul Perez, the Border Union President. He said, ‘Pete, you wouldn’t believe the attitude change in our agents. They swore an oath to protect this country, and now they have the ability to do this.’
We’re seeing not only the numbers go down, but you’re seeing the attitude among the agents improve. Also, recruiting for Customs and Border Patrol are both going through the roof, just like they are in the military. We now are focusing on securing our borders.
And by the way, this isn’t just going to be temporary. When we talked to Tom Homan, he said this would be permanent for our nation. This is going to be permanent security and a high priority for our nation in perpetuity.
RF: And on that note, what are you hopeful to accomplish with the new Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem?
Stauber: I think that Kristi Noem was an excellent pick. She’s been a wonderful South Dakota governor and next-door neighbor to Minnesota. She is making enforcing and securing our border a priority, and she understands the lack of resources and security at our northern border.
Many of us have spoken with her, and she understands the emphasis on both borders. We not only have a southwest border, but we have a northern border from the state of Washington all the way to Maine. It’s a long border and it needs to be protected as well. She’s definitely on board with the securing of our borders. She understands the safety and security needed for our citizens and our communities. I’m really looking forward to working with her even more so and helping her with her initiative of securing the border.
RF: With the understanding that a high number of individuals on the terrorist watch list are attempting to enter our country through the northern border, how does the security situation at the northern border compare to the southern border in terms of risks and vulnerabilities?
Stauber: Well, we know that nearly twice as many identified terrorists have attempted to enter through our northern border compared to the southwest border. So, when people ask me, ‘Pete what keeps you up at night?’ What keeps me up at night is the threat of terrorism to our people and our food supply.
When I say terrorism, we know there have been identifiable terrorists in our country and we’re trying to deport them right as we speak. But until we deport them, our communities are not safe. Our children and families are not safe when you have terrorists in our communities who entered our country illegally by walking in through a wide-open border.
Obviously, the last administration was derelict on that, but in this administration, it is the highest priority. President Trump promised during the election that he was going to secure the border. And the very first thing he did, the very first Executive Order, was to secure the border. He made it a national emergency, and now the resources are there to protect the integrity of the United States and stop illegal immigration.
Now, America was built on legal immigration. There is a legal way to enter our country, and we invite people that want to live, work, play, and recreate in the United States of America and raise families. But there’s a legal way to do it. You do not enter illegally. You will be removed, and this president and this administration will not hesitate to remove you.
There have been identifiable terrorists in our country and we’re trying to deport right as we speak. But until we deport them, our communities are not safe. Our children and families are not safe.
RF: That leads right into my next question. Sanctuary city policies – there’s a number of sanctuary cities in Minnesota, as well as throughout the country. How do you think these sanctuary policies impact northern border security and immigration enforcement?
Stauber: Minneapolis and St. Paul, for example, have stated they will not allow their law enforcement to work with federal agents on deportation, et cetera.
I spent 23 years as a police officer. I can tell you that whenever a federal law enforcement agency asked for our help, we always provided that assistance, and when we needed help from the federal agencies, they provided assistance to us. It was a good working relationship.
Right now, the leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul are saying they will not allow their officers to help with finding these violent illegal criminals in our country. To me that says you’re a sanctuary city. You’re allowing criminals to stay in your communities.
What is a sanctuary city? It’s a sanctuary for illegals to hide in your city and commit violent crimes in your city. Tom Homan says we’re getting the worst out first. We’re going after these people. When we know where they are, we’re not going to hesitate. We have to make our community safe. I think it’s absolutely wrong for those mayors and those law enforcement agencies that are told by their leadership to not assist federal law enforcement. It keeps the danger within the community. Law enforcement is supposed to be keeping us safe and working together.
Some of these law enforcement officers in both Minneapolis and St. Paul are so disgusted with their leadership because they want to keep their communities safe. You could take one violent, illegal criminal off the streets and it saves many people from being victimized, which costs the taxpayer money to investigate, put in jail, and to prosecute.
When you have leadership like that, it’s going to be devastating. Minneapolis and St. Paul are feeling that right now; their leadership is feeling it. I know that the police officers, the rank and file are disgusted with their leadership when they say they can’t work alongside other federal law enforcement officers to remove violent, illegal criminals from their streets.
RF: With Canada being the U.S.’ largest trading partner with nearly $2 billion in goods and services crossing the border daily, how do you see the U.S. successfully securing the border without harming Canada’s trade relationship?
Stauber: Canada and Mexico are our biggest trading partners. Canada will always be our ally and will always be our friend. We want trade to be fair on both sides. We want to have, and we will continue to have, friends in Canada. But we also, in order to establish a friendship, both have to understand where one can’t take advantage of the other. And at the moment, the trade deficit leans to the tune of about 230-some billion dollars in the favor of Canada, and that’s just not fair. President Trump wants to change that.
The President understands that we want to have that deficit as near equal as possible. And quite frankly, that’s his America First agenda. The American people, the American industry, the American small business, the American small entrepreneur across this great nation, must be able to compete without any barriers to be able to be successful. Again, Canada is an ally of ours. There’s no daylight between the United States and Canada. We just want to make the trade deficit better.
The American people, the American industry, the American small business, the American small entrepreneur across this great nation, must be able to compete without any barriers to be able to be successful.
RF: For my last question for you, what is the biggest concern that your constituents have that’s caused by illegal immigration at the northern border?
Stauber: Terrorism to our food supply, terrorism to our people, and the potential for something that one of these criminals could act out. We’ve seen it across the nation. Laken Riley, she was killed by an illegal. It just devastated the community, devastated the family. I don’t want that to happen to anybody else. Not in Minnesota, not in any of the other 49 states or territories.
So, what we need to do is what the President and his administrators are doing. We have to get out the worst first. I’m a father of six kids. My youngest are three and four years old. I want them to live in a safe, happy, prosperous America and not have to worry about these violent illegal criminals coming into our communities and doing harm to them or their parents, their communities or their business. And that’s what many people are commenting across the eighth district of Minnesota.
The resort owners up north understand that pushing safety and security for our northern border is extremely important. They’ve been very happy with what our office has been doing, what we’ve been sharing with them, and learning how they can help us protect that northern border. We’re not stopping until it’s completely secure. We’re going to use all the resources that we have, and my constituents want the United States government to use all the resources at hand in a legal way to keep them safe. That’s what our office is going to do.
The past administration – the last four years – has been devastating. We have seen fentanyl come up in every community, including Northern Minnesota, where it kills innocent children and family members. It’s devastating. As a police officer, I have given death notifications to unsuspecting parents. When you say your son died of a fentanyl overdose, it’s one of the worst calls any officer can go on, and I’ve done that. That happens about 300 times a day across America – simply unacceptable. And so, that’s what my constituents are concerned about and are happy that we’re making progress on it. They know that I will continue focusing on the safety and security of the United States of America and her citizens.
