Nashville, TN — Bill Hagerty, candidate for U.S. Senate, released the following statement after news that nine Americans, including six children, were killed by members of a drug cartel near the U.S.-Mexico border:

“I was absolutely horrified to learn of the senseless loss of innocent children and their mothers, and as a father, my heart breaks for their families. We are keeping them in our prayers.

“There is no question we have a crisis at our southern border. Putting an end to this crisis begins with securing the border and building the wall, and we must implement a solution urgently. It’s time for Washington liberals to put aside their promises of free handouts for illegal aliens and work with President Trump and Republicans in Congress to stop this humanitarian crisis. Together, we must do everything we can to stop the flow of illegal criminals into our country.” – Bill Hagerty