Whitewater Times

Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) said in an interview with Whitewater Times that Biden-Harris' border policies are allowing “criminal, violent illegal aliens” to infiltrate even small communities in Wisconsin, like his hometown of Prairie du Chien that made headlines following the Sept. 5 arrest of a suspected Venezuelan gang member accused of sexually and physical assaulting a woman and her juvenile daughter, respectively.  

On Sept. 28, former President Donald Trump made a campaign stop in Prairie Du Chien where he told the crowd: “I will liberate Wisconsin from this mass migration invasion,” adding, “We’re going to liberate our country,” according to multiple news reports. 

Just a day prior, CBS News reported that Trump's Wisconsin campaign rally location had changed due to lack of Secret Service staffing. Originally scheduled to take place at the airport, Trump instead addressed an indoor crowd of roughly 300 people at Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center, along with Van Orden, state Rep. Travis Tranel, and Prairie du Chien Police Chief Kyle Teynor.  

“Individuals who commit heinous, violent crimes while residing in the U.S. illegally must be deported and stopped right at the border if they try to reenter the U.S. again,” Van Orden told the Whitewater Times. “The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act was recently on the House Floor. 158 Democrats voted to allow illegal aliens to continue to reside in the country who commit domestic violence crimes and sex offenses by voting against this bill.” 

Van Orden said the Biden Administration is to blame for American victims of illegal alien crime, describing the situation as a human rights issue and the need for urgent action against violence perpetrated by illegals. 

“The Biden-Harris administration has thrown out effective border policies like ‘Remain in Mexico,’ building the border wall, and our agreements with the Northern Triangle Countries while providing incentives for individuals to enter the U.S. illegally such as free housing, medical care, and education.” 

Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate (26) is a believed Tren de Aragua gang member. He is charged with second-degree sexual assault, child abuse, strangulation and suffocation, two counts of battery and one count of disorderly conduct. Mugshot courtesy of Crawford County Jail.  

In an interview with New York Post regarding the arrest of believed Tren de Aragua gang member Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, Van Orden further criticized the Biden-Harris administration's open-border policies, claiming they have allowed criminal elements to infiltrate small communities like his, leading to a climate of fear among residents. 

“They’ve opened up our border and we have millions of illegal aliens able to enter the country. Obviously, many of them are readily identifiable as criminal illegal aliens,” he told the Post. “And they’re kidnapping, raping and murdering our children. They’re terrorizing our communities around the country. And the Biden administration is blowing it off.”

Police Chief Teynor highlighted the incident involving Coronel Zarate as a critical reminder of the violence associated with such groups. 

“This incident highlights the urgent need to recognize and address the threats posed by these criminal groups,” Teynor said in a press release.  

“When an individual is apprehended at the border, they are given a medical examination in which any tattoos they have would be identified,” he said. “In the case of the illegal alien who made his way to Prairie du Chien, his identification with Tren de Aragua was permanently inked onto his body. If our border laws were enforced properly, then he would have been turned around at the border and never let into the U.S.” 

Van Orden is now emphasizing the urgency for stricter enforcement of existing border laws, pointing to the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2), which he said was already passed by Republicans in the House last year but has yet to be brought to a vote in the Senate. 

“This is not rocket science,” he said. “If Border Czar Harris would not have reversed President Trump’s policies, we would not have these horrible crimes being committed.” 

Van Orden called for the Senate to take action. 

“Forcing the Democrat-controlled Senate to vote on H.R. 2 and have President Biden sign it into law is crucial for restoring order at the border,” he said. 

According to the Heritage Foundation, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, or H.R. 2, aims to implement significant measures to enhance border security amid the ongoing immigration crisis under the Biden administration. 

This legislation seeks to resume construction of the border wall, improve surveillance technology, and address loopholes in asylum policies that have been exploited to allow unvetted individuals into the U.S. 

Advocates argue that without such policy changes, additional funding for border management will only perpetuate the current crisis and empower criminal organizations.  

Van Orden is a retired Navy SEAL with a distinguished 26-year military career. 

Prior to running for Congress he transitioned from military operations to local entrepreneurship and in 2017 reopened the Butternut Cafe in Prairie du Chien with his wife, Sara Jane. 

He has represented Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District since 2023.