Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.-05) joined seven of her Democratic colleagues, including fellow members of the Immigration Subcommittee, this past weekend to visit the El Paso sector of the U.S.-Mexico border to see the unfolding crisis first-hand.
The delegation visited the Paso del Norte Port of Entry, El Paso Border Patrol Central Processing Center, and shelters for unaccompanied minors and families, and met with agents on the ground, immigration advocates, and migrant children.
“I want to thank Rep. Veronica Escobar for organizing this CODEL and for inviting Republicans to participate because no one party is going to solve this crisis alone. The American people want real, viable solutions from their elected leaders,” Rep. Spartz said.
The delegation saw over a thousand children at the central processing center, most of whom will stay there for weeks despite the facility’s original intent and legal obligation to only house migrants for a matter of days. Drugs, weapons, and other contraband are also pouring across the border while border patrol agents are overwhelmed by the flood of migrants, diverting them from performing their core duties.
“It is absolutely clear that we have a real crisis at our southern border,” Rep. Spartz said. “There is no question about it. I talked to a tiny, six-year-old girl devastated by being separated from her eight-year-old brother. These siblings were sent by their parents to cross our border by themselves and there are busloads of children with similar stories arriving every day.”
Rep. Spartz added, “President Biden’s policies have encouraged this influx, weakened our border security, and aided the drug cartels. President Biden needs to exercise leadership now and address the growing crisis at our border with an all-of-government approach.”
Rep. Spartz said she is planning to return to the southern border in the weeks to come to visit a different section of the border with members of the House Judiciary Committee.
The only way this is going to stop is by closing all bridges in both directions and sending every illegal immigrant back to their own country including those that are already in the United States illegally.