Lake County Gazette

Tenth Congressional candidate Jim Carris has returned from a poignant visit to the country’s southern border, where he witnessed firsthand the harrowing realities of the ongoing immigration crisis. 

Carris recounted his experiences, highlighting the prevalence of human trafficking and the distressing stories of women and children falling victim to sexual assault.

“Visiting the actual physical border, I saw personal belongings, including travel documents and ID cards, and many personal articles of clothing discarded on the ground. It's clear that this is a human trafficking crisis impacting the lives of millions,” Carris told Lake County Gazette.  

Jim Carris | Facebook/Jim Carris For Congress

“I also heard about the disturbing stories at the crisis intervention center about women and young children being human trafficked and sexually assaulted— a regular and horrific occurrence for many migrant families.” 

In an impassioned plea, Carris stressed the need for bi-partisan collaboration to address the crisis effectively. 

“Congress needs to prioritize comprehensive immigration reform immediately and work with our immigration agencies to create viable pathways for asylum and legal status or citizenship,” he said. “I would work across the aisle with Democrats to create compassionate yet common sense policies while supporting our law enforcement and border patrol agencies with the ability and resources to enforce them.” 

In a post on X, Carris said the situation at the southern border is a nationwide issue.

“It’s clear that the southern border crisis is affecting everyone - every state has become a border state. I will make this my priority when I get to Washington,” he said.

In the video, Carris quoted Border Patrol estimates, highlighting the alarming statistic that 25% of those entering the country illegally are classified as "gateways" by authorities.

"There's also been about 10 million people come in since the Biden administration has signed the executive order, which means there are about 2.5 million people considered gateways by the Border Patrol," Carris said in the video posted to X. 

"And that is, we don't know who they are, what country they're from, or where they're going. We need immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform immediately."

In an op-ed posted on Patch, Carris urged immediate action from the Biden Administration and Congress, calling for comprehensive immigration reform to address both security concerns and the humane treatment of migrants. 

Carris painted a vivid picture of the ongoing crisis at the southern border, a situation that has rippled across the nation, reaching even the communities of the Midwest.

"What I witnessed and learned was heartbreaking and shocking," Carris wrote. "I believe that part of the role as a Congressman is learning about the challenges that a district is facing, and so I made the decision to go directly to the epicenter of our country’s immigration issue, the southern border."

According to him, local resources are stretched to the limit as the federal government fails to take decisive action, leaving local and state governments to shoulder the burden. Heightened security concerns add to this strain, forcing authorities to divert their focus from the needs of residents.

In towns and cities, Carris said the impact is palpable and noted how scarce resources are being redirected to support the influx of migrants, leading to compromised healthcare, overwhelmed educational facilities, and stressed law enforcement agencies.

An accomplished attorney, entrepreneur and corporate leader, Carris is Managing Principal, Executive Managing Director and Market Leader at Colliers International.