Jeff Sessions

            One of my latest heroes is Jeff Sessions, the new U.S. Attorney General. He would not have to be a very good Attorney General in order to be better than the two during the Obama Administration. Besides being conservative and being well qualified for the position, I like Sessions because he says what he means and he means what he says.

            Sessions served in the U.S. Senate as the junior Senator from Alabama for twenty years. Before that he served at the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama for twelve years, resigning only when asked to resign by newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton. While in Congress Sessions was considered to be one of the most conservative Senators. He opposed illegal immigration and amnesty and supported expanding the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. 

            Sessions supported Donald Trump early in the 2016 presidential campaign and was considered for the position of Vice President. President-elect Trump nominated Sessions for U.S. Attorney General in November 2016, and the Senate confirmed him on February 8, 2017, with a 52-47 vote. He was sworn into office of Attorney General on February 9, 2017.

            The reason that I chose Sessions to be my VIP for this week is his visit to the southern border of the United States. In an interview with Sean Hannity, Fox News host, Sessions spoke about the Trump policy on the U.S.-Mexico border and made his position clear.

The border is not open. Please don’t come.

You will be apprehended if you do come and you will be deported promptly. If you’re a criminal, you will be prosecuted, and if you assault our officers, we’re going to come at you [like] a ton of bricks.

            Sessions and Hannity also discussed a recent report out of the Department of Homeland Security, which specified that illegal border crossings are at the lowest point in 17 years. Sessions gave all the credit to the President: “This is a direct result of Donald Trump’s strong clear leadership.” Sessions continued.

I knew strong Presidential leadership, unlike the wishy-washy-ness we’ve seen in the past, would impact the flow, but not as much as we’ve seen already. The numbers are down 70 percent since President Obama left office. So it’s really a remarkable achievement.”

            Sessions believes that Congress will fund a barrier at the border. He testified that “a wall, a barrier, multiplies the ability of our border patrol and customs officers to be effective … So, this is the way to go.” He also said that the barrier does not have to cover the entire length of the border to be effective. Sessions calls this the “Trump era” and says that illegal immigrants have been warned. “The lawlessness, the abdication of duty to enforce our laws, and the catch and release policies of the past are over.”

            It is very obvious that there is a new chief law enforcement officer in our nation. He knows the laws, and he intends to enforce them to the best of his ability. I support him in doing so. I like his humility and his desire to fulfill his responsibilities.