You Cannot Secure a Country You Refuse to Police | Mark Lamb

Defunding the police and abolishing ICE are not solutions to the problems facing American families. They would weaken the institutions responsible for protecting our communities, enforcing our laws, and confronting criminal organizations. I talk about it here. WATCH NOW

I served eight years as Sheriff of Pinal County. I have seen what happens when cartels exploit weaknesses in our border security, and I have delivered the news no parent should ever have to hear: their child is not coming home.

This is not an abstract political debate to me. It is about protecting American lives.

What I Saw as Sheriff

Pinal County is not directly on the international border, but it is a major corridor for drug and human smuggling. Our deputies dealt with the consequences of that reality every day.

In February 2023, I testified before Congress about the dramatic increases our agency had experienced in human smuggling, dangerous vehicle pursuits, and fentanyl seizures. I described the strain on our deputies, the risks to our communities, and the human cost of criminal organizations exploiting our border.

Our deputies also carried out humanitarian missions to recover migrants who had been injured or abandoned in the desert. We saw firsthand how cartels exploit vulnerable people while putting our communities and law enforcement officers at risk.

Those experiences taught me that border security, public safety, and compassion are not competing responsibilities.

The Fentanyl Crisis Is Not Over

National overdose deaths are finally declining, and that is welcome news. But Arizona is moving in the opposite direction.

Recent reporting from the Arizona Public Health Association shows that overdose deaths increased in our state during 2025, including a significant rise in deaths involving synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.

Behind those numbers are parents, children, spouses, and communities whose lives will never be the same. I have seen the devastation these drugs cause, and I refuse to accept that we should simply learn to live with it.

National progress shows that lives can be saved. Arizona's worsening numbers remind us that our work is far from finished.

We need to disrupt the criminal networks trafficking deadly drugs, secure our border, and give law enforcement the resources necessary to do their jobs. We also need effective prevention, treatment, and recovery resources for Americans struggling with addiction.

Enforcement and Compassion Work Together

Helping someone recover does not require us to ignore the criminal organizations supplying deadly drugs. Enforcing the law does not mean abandoning people who need help.

ICE has an important role in immigration enforcement and criminal investigations. I believe eliminating the agency would weaken our ability to enforce immigration law and confront the criminal networks that exploit our country.

That does not mean government agencies should be beyond accountability. I support effective oversight, responsible reform, and ensuring that law enforcement operates within the Constitution. But reforming an agency and abolishing its ability to enforce the law are two very different things.

We should be working to make law enforcement more effective, not removing the tools necessary to protect the American people.

My Commitment to Arizona

As a member of Congress, I will support effective border security, strong federal law enforcement, cooperation with state and local agencies, and policies that hold traffickers accountable. I will also support efforts that reduce overdose deaths and help families affected by addiction.

I know what our deputies face when they confront smugglers and cartels. I know what it is like to stand with families after tragedy. Those experiences will guide my decisions in Washington.

We can secure our border, enforce our laws, and treat people with dignity. We do not have to sacrifice one to accomplish the other.

You cannot secure a country you refuse to police.

Arizona deserves leaders who understand that responsibility and are willing to do the work.

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