Sen. Rob Portman said Thursday that the border wall President Trump promised would help stem the flow of sex trafficking into the U.S.
“I think the commitment the president made in the campaign, which I think most Americans agree with, is you’ve got to have a more secure border, particularly the southern border,” Mr. Portman, Ohio Republican, said on CNN.
Mr. Trump has taken some criticism for backing away from his promise of a “brick and mortar” wall and instead saying the wall will be a mix of fencing and more surveillance, as well as a physical wall.
Mr. Portman said any amount of increased security on the southern border would help stem the flow of drugs and sex-trafficking victims into the U.S., a problem he plans to address in an upcoming bill.
“If you’re an organization online, selling people online, knowingly selling girls under age, you have, in effect, immunity under federal law called the Communications Decency Act,” Mr. Portman explained.
The Communications Decency Act was passed in 1996 under former President Bill Clinton. An addition to the law, Section 230, gives immunity to the ISPs and providers for actions committed by people on their website, even if the provider is aware of wrongful action and fails to address it.
Mr. Portman said that his new bill, which already has 64 co-sponsors, would remove this immunity.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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