Ted Poe: “on the lawless southern border, Border Patrol agents are routinely assaulted by illegals. They are shot at. They are run…”

“on the lawless southern border, Border Patrol agents are routinely assaulted by illegals. They are shot at. They are run down by smugglers in trucks. Officers who daily risk their lives protecting America are not always protected by America. As a border agent's wife writes me: "In Texas, agents are regularly assaulted, and no prosecution is sought. They are told their injuries are not severe enough to deem Federal prosecution. My husband and his partner were both shot while on duty. The criminal who shot them was never tried on Federal charges. Instead, he was tried by the State of Texas. Why is it when an agent doing his job injures a criminal, the highest level of prosecution is sought, but when agents are assaulted, rarely, if any, prosecution is sought? Why also is it that hundreds of drug smugglers flee to Mexico, but we never try to track them down until they will aid in prosecuting border agents? Those who do a difficult job of protecting our borders need all the help they can get. Mr. Speaker, America needs to vigorously prosecute criminals who assault our border agents. After all, they are the first line of defense from the illegal invasion into our homeland. And that's just the way it is.”