WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) paid tribute to the victims of the Cleveland, Texas, shooting and discussed reports that the perpetrator had previously been deported multiple times. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“Over the weekend, the small town of Cleveland, Texas – more or less in East Texas, east of Conroe and the Houston area – experienced a shocking crime. We are learning more about the details of the perpetrator and exactly what happened that led to horrific bloodshed.”

“I can’t imagine the shock and grief that these families are experiencing today.”

“What they thought was just a normal Friday night, surrounded by family and friends, turned into a life-shattering day because of the actions of this criminal. My prayers are with these families as they search for peace, healing, and justice.”

“In the wake of this tragedy, Governor Abbott’s office announced that the suspect had been in the United States illegally and had been previously deported four times. He never should have been in the United States in the first place.”

“I want to be abundantly clear about one point: the actions of these criminals do not and should not reflect on the tens of millions of law-abiding immigrants in this country.”

“There are devastating consequences when the Biden administration simply refuses to enforce the law, both at and inside of our borders.”

“Unfortunately, this allows dangerous individuals into the United States, and the odds of them being arrested and removed by the Biden administration is extremely low.”

“The administration is doing less and less to actually enforce the law and remove those who have been found to have no credible claim to remain in the United States.”

“These policies hurt the border communities – like the ones I represent – that are expected to shoulder the massive weight of this humanitarian crisis because the federal government and the Biden administration refuses to do its job. It hurts small towns, medium-size towns, and large towns all across America.”

“As we saw again this weekend, the administration’s policies victimize people who are attacked by dangerous individuals who never should have been in the United States in the first place. How much pain and suffering will our country have to endure before the Biden administration takes this seriously?”

“It’s past time to secure the border, enforce our immigration laws, and prioritize the safety and security of the American people.”