SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – The Texas Border Coalition, which represents communities from El Paso to Brownsville, says it supports Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez’s call for President Biden to visit the Texas-Mexico border.
Specifically, Cortez wants Biden to visit his county before Title 42 is ended.
Title 42 is slated to end in late May. The order allows the U.S. government to block the entry of foreigners who have recently been in a country where a communicable disease is present. Use of the rule has allowed both the Trump and Biden administrations to ignore the pleas of refugees and asylum seekers.
According to federal government projections, the suspension of Title 42 could lead to a surge of undocumented migration from Mexico, with as many as 18,000 migrants crossing per day.
Such a scenario is of concern to Cortez. Earlier this week he penned a letter to the White House “imploring” Biden to come visit him.
The Texas Border Coalition met for its quarterly meeting on South Padre Island on Thursday, May 5. Behind closed doors its leadership agreed to send its own letter to Biden.
“We share Judge Cortez’s belief that your presence on the border would help provide momentum for real long-term solutions for border security at and between the land ports entry rather than a piece-meal, band-aid approach,” Cameron County Judge and Texas Border Coalition (TBC) Chairman Eddie Treviño, Jr., wrote in his letter.
Treviño pointed out that TBC has advocated for immigration reform over three decades, including House passage of three immigration reform bills last year, and strengthened border security through improved U.S. Customs and Border Protection manpower and technology.
“By coming to the border, we hope you can boost momentum for passage of the many bipartisan reform bills now pending in the U.S. Senate,” Treviño said.
Here is the TBC letter in its entirety:
May 5, 2022
The Honorable Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The Texas Border Coalition (TBC) supports Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez’ invitation for you to visit the Texas-Mexico border before your administration makes any substantial changes to current border policy.
TBC acts as the collective voice of border communities on issues that affect Texas-Mexico border region’s quality of life, commerce, and public policy. The TBC is comprised of mayors, city council members, county judges, county executives, businesses, corporations, and community leaders. Collectively, we represent more than 2.5 million people who reside along the more than 1,250 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, from Brownsville to El Paso.
We share Judge Cortez’s belief that your presence on the border would help provide momentum for real long-term solutions for border security at and between the land ports entry rather than a piece-meal, band-aid approach.
TBC has advocated for immigration reform over three decades, including House passage of three immigration reform bills last year, and strengthened border security through improved U.S. Customs and Border Protection manpower and technology. By coming to the border, we hope you can boost momentum for passage of the many bipartisan reform bills now pending in the U.S. Senate.
Immigration reform is the key to securing the border and border communities. It would strengthen border enforcement by providing regulated entry of legal workers, allowing immigration enforcement officers to focus on real security threats. Reform would also help solve our nation’s acute labor shortage that is contributing to a surge in inflation, lost opportunities for companies, and strains in supply chains across economic sectors. In addition to a larger, more productive workforce, immigration reform would increase economic growth and tax revenues. The alternative is a continued reliance on an ineffective enforcement-only policy.
We ask you to visit the border and continue to assert your leadership needed to forge a bipartisan compromise necessary to pass reform legislation.
Sincerely,
Eddie Treviño, Jr.
Chairman, Texas Border Coalition
County Judge, Cameron County, Texas
ends
Quality journalism takes time, effort and…. Money!
Producing quality journalism is not cheap. The coronavirus has resulted in falling revenues across the newsrooms of the United States. However, The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service is committed to producing quality news reporting on the issues that matter to border residents. The support of our members is vital in ensuring our mission gets fulfilled.
Can we count on your support? If so, click HERE. Thank you!
