BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Texas Border Coalition has urging President Biden and members of Congress modernize the nation’s immigration system and strengthen border security.
In a letter to the White House, Cameron County Judge and TBC Chairman Eddie Treviño, Jr., said it is time to move beyond the nation’s long-standing “band-aid” approach to these issues.
“Band-aid solutions will not produce the results our region, state, and nation demand,” Treviño, pictured above, said in his letter.
“While our border communities are among the safest in the country, partisan fights that turn the border region into a political football sully our standing and harm our people. It is time our leaders put aside the partisan bickering that can achieve no more than temporary, ineffective results and join together to solve the problem.”
The TBC letter was also sent to DHS officials, congressional leaders, and members of the Texas delegation.
“As we all know, the COVID-related requirement known as Title 42 to expel adult migrants entering the U.S. via the Mexico border was always a band-aid and not a solution. Plans to address the influx of migrants that will result from its lifting on May 23 are also short-term and will foster new problems,” Treviño said.
“This moment creates an opportunity for Congress to finally address the fundamental issues and legislate a solution built on the pillars of modernizing immigration and strengthening security.”
Here is the TBC letter in full:
April 7, 2022
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Biden:
The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) is the collective voice of border communities on issues that affect Texas-Mexico border region’s quality of life, commerce, and public policy. TBC is comprised of mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders. No region of the United States has a greater interest in border security than our communities.
For more than 15 years, TBC has advocated for smart, effective border security. To achieve this goal, we have supported measures to modernize the failed U.S. immigration system in place today and for border security strategies to defeat human and contraband smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border.
We believe both elements are essential to achieving smart, effective security at the border. Instead of adopting this approach, our national and state leaders have resorted to piecemeal, incomplete tactics that, no matter how well intentioned, have not resolved the security issue.
Band-aid solutions will not produce the results our region, state, and nation demand.
While our border communities are among the safest in the country, partisan fights that turn the border region into a political football sully our standing and harm our people. It is time our leaders put aside the partisan bickering that can achieve no more than temporary, ineffective results and join together to solve the problem.
As we all know, the COVID-related requirement known as Title 42 to expel adult migrants entering the U.S. via the Mexico border was always a band-aid and not a solution. Plans to address the influx of migrants that will result from its lifting on May 23 are also short-term and will foster new problems.
This moment creates an opportunity for Congress to finally address the fundamental issues and legislate a solution built on the pillars of modernizing immigration and strengthening security.
The smart, effective solution includes:
· More and better equipped Customs agents at the land ports of entry and Border Patrol agents between the ports.
· Technological improvements at and between the ports that will make our border security workforce more effective and efficient.
· Modernizing our immigration to address DREAMERs, agricultural workers and to create and expand visa availability for temporary workers desperately needed to help our economy grow.
These initiatives have been debated in Congress for many years and we are grateful for the small steps that have been taken, under Democratic and Republican presidents, to advance them. While bringing them a compromise the President can sign will be difficult, Americans will generously celebrate such an achievement.
Texas border communities urge action, now, to bring about the security we demand and deserve.
Sincerely,
Eddie Treviño, Jr.
Chairman, Texas Border Coalition
County Judge, Cameron County, Texas
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