Harlingen, Texas (KVEO)—House Republican Whip Steve Scalise led a Congressional delegation to the border as Republicans continue to pressure the Biden administration for what they say is a crisis fueled by the administration’s own immigration policies.
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Another wave of pressure for President Biden to address the overflow of unaccompanied minors came this afternoon from a delegation led by Whip Scalise.
The delegation met with Border Patrol Agents and participated in an evening ride-along tour with the National Border Patrol Council.
During their press conference, he and members of the delegation spoke about what they had witnessed during their tour of the Donna Migrant Processing Facility and tour the border wall in the city of McAllen.
Photo credit: KVEO Photojournalist Salvador Castro
“How could President Biden and Kamala Harris allow this to go on and not even come and see it for themselves,” asked Whip Scalise. “These kids are pawns in his dangerous game, it’s [got to] stop.”
Topics addressed during the press conference were the number of individuals being held, overwhelmed border patrol, and drugs coming across the border, they said, as a result of President Biden’s undoing of former President Trump’s policies.
“We went into a facility that is designed to hold no more than 250 people. Today, there’s more than 4,000,” said Whip Scalise about the number of people at the temporary holding facility.
Photo credit: KVEO Photojournalist Salvador Castro
Whip Scalise said he believes reinstating the Trump remain in Mexico policy would stop the people from coming immediately. “[President Biden] could put that back in place tomorrow,” he said.
The high number of people arriving at the border makes it easier for drugs to come across according to Whip Scalise, while they are also taking advantage of the situation to exploit families and children.
“[Drug cartels] know what the loopholes do to our border patrol agents; 40% of America’s border patrol at these high trafficked areas are not stopping the drugs from coming in, which is their mission and what they want to do, they have to be over at these holding facilities babysitting the children that have come over,” said Whip Scalise.
“I’ve never seen border patrol more angry and more loss of morale, the morale is at an all-time low and it’s because of this president and his actions,” said (R-TX) Congressman Mike McCaul.
Members of the delegation also said that this was the “worst” situation they have seen at the border in their career.
“It didn’t have to happen, this is a self-inflicted wound,” said Congressman Mccaul. “I think it’s going to be the worst we’ve ever seen.”
“I was down here three years ago on another trip to see what was happening and I’m telling you, there is no comparison,” said (R-OH) Bob Latta “This is a crisis the president has brought on.”
There was also criticism towards Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas for not visiting the Donna facility while he was in South Texas.
Members of the delegation urged the President and Vise President to see the situation for themselves and put a stop to the influx of migrants.
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A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, will visit the Rio Grande Valley this weekend.
The group, including the co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, will tour the border, ports of entry, and processing centers.
Last week, several Texas House members also took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Congressman Jodey Arrington and Rep. Brian Babi lead a Texas Congressional Delegation trip to assess the partisan divide in how the Biden administration is responding to the migrant situation from McAllen, Laredo, and Carrizo Springs.
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Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz also visited the Rio Grande Valley to tour the border alongside local border officials.
Senator Cornyn echoed that sentiment at a press conference and stated this situation has put a strain on Border Patrol officials as well as migrants who are being contained in closed areas.
President Joe Biden was repeatedly pressed to defend his migration policy along the border with Mexico. He said the increase in migration was cyclical.
