McDonough Against Different Sort of Illegal Border Crossing

Del. Pat McDonough says a bill he plans to introduce will protect Maryland's borders—this time against rats.

McDonough, a Middle River Republican more known for his stands on immigration issues, said his bill will prevent Washington, DC from exporting vermin to Maryland under a 2010 wildlife protection bill. But the law may not be everything McDonough thinks it is.

"My bill is an anti-rat trafficking bill," said McDonough.

McDonough's concerns arise from a bill he said was passed in Washington, DC that prevents the killing of rats. Instead, the law requires wildlife (including rats) be treated humanely and relocated "along with their families" to another area.

"I'm protecting the borders again, this time from illegal rats," McDonough said. "I'm very concerned about my friends in Prince George's and Montgomery counties. They're on the front lines of this."

McDonough said his bill would prevent DC from sneaking their rats across the border into Maryland's suburbs and eating our government cheese.

But the DC law may not be everything the delegate believes.

WTOP radio in DC has an interesting fact check on the issue in which they state that the bill does not protect rats or other "commensal rodents."

No word on if McDonough's bill will require the rodents to also speak English.