Bipartisan Group of Senators to Visit Southwest Border, See Border Firsthand

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) will join Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) who invited a bipartisan group of Senators to Texas and Arizona next week to see the crisis at the Southwest Border firsthand. Senators Lankford, Sinema, Cornyn, Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) will travel to El Paso, Texas and Yuma, Arizona to see the many challenges at the Southwest Border, meet with the brave men and women tasked with securing the border, and hear from local law enforcement, community leaders, and non-profits that accept and care for asylum seekers leaving CBP custody.

“It’s time to get serious about enforcing the law and supporting our Border Patrol, and this trip will help to show my colleagues the need to fix our nation’s broken asylum process and the need to improve the vetting of illegal migrants. President Biden stated yesterday that he plans to meet with Border Patrol to find out what they need while he is at the border. I hope that he listens. In my multiple trips to the border over the past several years, I have heard firsthand from the agents on the ground about the problems they face and the obvious solutions that would secure our border,” said Senator Lankford, Ranking Member of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee.

“Arizona border communities shoulder the burden of Washington’s failure to solve our border and immigration crisis. I’m glad to lead a bipartisan group of my colleagues to visit the Southwest Border and I appreciate their commitment to learning and understanding the many diverse challenges facing our border communities. I believe by working together we can bridge divides, help find lasting solutions, and start solving the crisis at our border,” said Senator Sinema, Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee.

“The humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border has created untenable and unacceptable challenges for Texas communities along the U.S.-Mexico border, which is why I’m glad my colleagues from across the country will see the impacts of this firsthand,” said Senator Cornyn. “On this visit, we will hear from the men and women working around the clock to manage the strain of this crisis, and I hope this will result in meaningful discussions about finally securing our border and giving these communities tangible relief.”

“There is a humanitarian and security crisis raging at the southern border, with historic illegal entries and massive amounts of dangerous drugs being smuggled into our country due to failed policies and enforcement coming from Washington,” said Senator Tillis. “I look forward to visiting the border again to meet with our brave Border Patrol agents, see what is happening first-hand, and discuss what solutions both parties need to put forward to fix this crisis and make our country safe and secure.”

“It’s been a priority of mine to make sure Washington understands the border crisis that is putting a strain on Arizona communities and law enforcement. I look forward to joining my colleagues on this important bipartisan visit that will better inform our ongoing work to fix our broken immigration system and ensure a secure, orderly, and humane border response,” said Senator Kelly.

“Our immigration system is badly broken and congressional action is long overdue,” said Senator Coons.  “I am returning to the border as part of this bipartisan group to consider how Congress can act to address the challenges of migration and security.  I have long championed efforts to fix our immigration system, and I hope that this trip will be the start of a serious, bipartisan process that will produce safe, orderly, humane, and fair solutions in the new Congress.”

“There is a humanitarian, public health and national security crisis at our southern border. I appreciate Sen. Sinema and Sen. Cornyn for leading this delegation to the border to learn more about the challenges our border agents are facing and the steps that can be taken to solve this crisis,” said Senator Moran, ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. 

“Congress has to get serious about finding a bipartisan solution that will protect our border from the legitimate threats like cartel smuggling operations, treat families and children humanely, and preserve the rights of asylum seekers. That’s why I’m joining this group of bipartisan Senators to learn more about what people living in border communities and those who make the dangerous journey to the border are experiencing. Many of us have found common ground on difficult issues before, and I hope we can work together on the challenge of immigration reform. And As Chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that writes the budget for the Department of Homeland Security, I also look forward to seeing how the programs we fund are being implemented,” said Senator Murphy.

The Senators will visit El Paso and Yuma on Monday, January 9^th and Tuesday, January 10^th. As part of their trip, Senators will tour various points along the border in El Paso and Southern Arizona, meet with US Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, tour Border Patrol processing centers, and meet with non-profit leaders who care for asylum seekers, local government leaders, and local law enforcement personnel.

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