A House Republican who represents the largest district on the United States-Mexico border said the illegal immigration crisis was past its breaking point and made a desperate plea for the Biden administration and Congress to take serious action as soon as possible.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) toured hard-hit areas in Eagle Pass and El Paso Wednesday and Thursday and said what he had seen was beyond anything U.S. border officials have dealt with in the past three years.
OATH OF OFFICE: BIDEN RAN ON FIXING THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, BUT BORDER CRISIS BURGEONS
“We are absolutely at a breaking point, beyond a breaking point,” Gonzales said during a press conference in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday. “I’m tired of the do-nothings. We need help today. This is a hurricane, Category 6. This needs to end today.”
El Paso-area Border Patrol agents have arrested up to 1,500 illegal immigrants per day recently and had 4,500 immigrants in processing facilities regionwide as of Thursday morning, he said.
“El Paso’s a very small community that is — wants to help others, but what about us?” Gonzales continued. “We don’t feel safe, you know, I’m driving around this morning — a lot of people loitering. When I was in the processing center earlier today, the Border Patrol’s sector chief mentioned there’s an increase in criminal gangs, gangs from Venezuela.”
In El Paso at the cross-border rail crossing, which has been shut down as of Monday. Same situation in Eagle Pass.
Essential trade is at a standstill because Customs Officers are being pulled to process migrants. This hurts Americans where it hurts the most—their pockets. pic.twitter.com/EL9RwIFDcv
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) December 21, 2023
Mexicans with documents to enter the country at ports of entry, as well as Texas residents, have been negatively affected by the Biden administration’s move on Monday to shut down railroad crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso.
“Let’s not punish our legal trade system while this border crisis is bubbling. I’m also worried about wait times. Right now, the wait time here in El Paso was about three hours,” Gonzales said. “In Eagle Pass yesterday, I spoke with a woman that had been waiting in line for 15 hours so — madness. And when I asked her, you know, ‘Why would you wait in line for 15 hours,’ she said, ‘Today’s my daughter’s birthday and I’m going to visit my daughter.'”
The impacts of the surge in illegal immigration over the past few weeks have been significant, not only in Texas but also in Arizona and California.
Across the eastern half of Arizona and the south-central region of Texas — both regions that stretch hundreds of miles east to west — all Border Patrol highway checkpoints have been shuttered. Their closures mean vehicles driving away from the border will not be inspected by federal law enforcement.
Rail and pedestrian bridges along the border have suspended operations and pulled agents out of the field to process migrants.
Our national security priorities have been put on the back burner to deal with the fallout of the border crisis. pic.twitter.com/XzkbgrnOXC
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) December 20, 2023
On Wednesday, Gonzales sent a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress pleading with them to take immediate action.
“Our southern border is in the worst state it has ever been. As the U.S. representative for the largest border district in Congress, I do not say that lightly,” Gonzales wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). “Today, I am calling on all lawmakers to take emergency action to secure our border. Failure to act may lead to a point of no return.”
I represent 2/3 of the Texas border — from Eagle Pass to El Paso. We are at a breaking point and I do not say that lightly.
Our national security is at stake.
I’m calling on Congress to act now. ⬇️@SpeakerJohnson@SenSchumer@RepJeffries @LeaderMcConnell pic.twitter.com/hb5htPME0C
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) December 21, 2023
Gonzales warned that the crisis is also having an unseen impact on national security.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Beyond increases in drug smuggling at the border, years of counter-terrorism efforts are being undone,” Gonzales wrote. “Law enforcement is beyond their limits to continue holding the line and the possibility of a terrorist act being committed in relation to our open border is higher than ever.”
By Thursday afternoon, Johnson had joined in with Gonzales and sent President Joe Biden a letter demanding that he take action “today.”
