Fentanyl crisis in America is 'terrorist chemical attack,’ congresswoman says

"Some of these countries are emptying their jails and prisons and sending them up here," Miller said.

Published: June 16, 2022 7:59pm

Updated: June 16, 2022 11:18pm

Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) is sounding the alarm about fentanyl coming across the Southern Border by calling the crisis a "terrorist chemical attack" created by Biden administration policies.

Her comments come as a Customs and Border Protection agents encountered a record number of nearly 240,000 migrants in May at the Southern Border. Despite this, overall drug seizures are significantly down from previous years.

"The Biden administration has advertized and facilitated this invasion ... Some of these countries are emptying their jails and prisons and sending them up here. The cartels have totally taken control of our border," Miller told the "Just the News, Not Noise" television program on Thursday.

"There is enough fentanyl coming over the border to kill every American multiple times over. In fact, I would say that we're under a terrorist chemical attack. Over 100,000 of our youth died last year from drug overdoses," she said. "And for us, Illinois is a sanctuary state, thanks to the Democrats that are in control, and we basically roll out the red carpet for the people that are coming here illegally. And people, the regular citizens of Illinois, have had it."

More than 105,000 people are estimated to have died from drug overdoses in 2021, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is up from the roughly 93,000 overdose deaths in 2020. More than 70,000 people died from fentanyl alone in 2021, an increase of more than 20% from the previous year.

Miller is running against fellow incumbent Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) after Democrat-led redistricting in the state created two blue-leaning seats and took away two red-leaning seats, FiveThirtyEight reported.

Former President Donald Trump has voiced his support for Miller over Davis, who voted to certify the electoral college results in 2020.

With the Illinois primary scheduled for June 28, Trump plans on campaigning with Miller next Saturday in Mendon, Ill., near Quincy.