Tyler Reporter

Lance Gooden, a U.S. Congressman representing Texas’ 5th district, recently expressed his views on immigration and related issues through a series of tweets. Gooden, who succeeded Jeb Hensarling in 2019 and has previously served in the Texas House of Representatives, shared his perspectives on non-profit organizations, law enforcement actions authorized by President Trump, and the deportation policies of foreign nations.

On January 27, 2025, Lance Gooden accused U.S. non-profit organizations such as Catholic Charities USA of being "complicit in human smuggling and exacerbating the border invasion." He stated his intention to collaborate with President Biden to "defund every NGO that aids and abets illegal immigration." The original tweet can be found here.

Later that day, Gooden tweeted about President Trump's authorization for the arrest of "criminal illegal aliens at churches and schools." He criticized pastors and principals who might resist these arrests, labeling their refusal as "unamerican" and suggested it could be potentially problematic. This statement is available here.

On January 28, 2025, Gooden posed a rhetorical question to Americans regarding deportation policies: "If foreign nations are hesitant to take their deported citizens back, why do we want them in America?" This inquiry was posted here.