The top House Democrat urged his colleagues to travel down to the U.S.-Mexico border to gain a better understanding of the challenges that federal law enforcement and local communities face before the caucus attempts to move on immigration reform in Congress.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries visited Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) in his border district Friday as part of a multiday tour in the region to learn about the humanitarian crisis and fentanyl epidemic that have set record highs in arrests and seizures since President Joe Biden took office.
“We do need comprehensive immigration reform that is both humane, but also respects the rule of law and the traditions of public safety and the importance of that for border communities,” Jeffries said during a press conference at the port of entry Friday afternoon. “I’m going to continue to encourage my colleagues in Washington as part of trying to arrive at a comprehensive solution to take a field trip, come down to the border communities to speak to the people who experience life at the border.”
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced Thursday that they would not attend a hearing on the border in Yuma, Arizona, next week because they said it was a political move by the GOP to have it there.
Instead, Democrats on the committee said they will visit the border on their own in March.
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Jeffries said his biggest takeaway so far was that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who inspect traffic passing through land, sea, and airports needed more technology to be able to inspect all vehicles and people coming through every day. Officers in Laredo, the largest inland port in the country, were not able to scan the inside of all vehicles due to a lack of technology and time.
“It was very enlightening to see the importance of how that technology is being deployed to try and secure the border to try to make sure that contraband is interdicted in an appropriate way and to supplement the limitations of manpower resources,” Jeffries said. “Almost all of the stakeholders within the law enforcement community, the federal level, all over at the city and the county level have made clear that it’s that technology that’s been helpful.”
The visit comes days after Republicans and Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce traveled to the Rio Grande Valley east of Laredo for a hearing about the fentanyl epidemic.
Eighty-five percent of fentanyl seized at the nation’s borders in fiscal 2022, which ended last September, was at the ports of entry, according to data shared by the White House.
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Jeffries said improving federal officers’ ability to see what is coming into the country was a must and that funding for technology at the ports will continue to be a priority for Democrats.
