Rep. Tiffany tours southern border: ‘Every state is now a border state’

McAllen, TX. (WSAW) - After visiting the southern border and processing facilities in McAllen, Texas, on Wednesday and Thursday, Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany says that ‘every state is now a border state’ as the nation continues to deal with the ongoing influx of migrants at the southern border.

Data released last week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that in March of 2021 there were over 101,000 Title 42 expulsions at the southwestern border. Currently, over 20,000 unaccompanied minors are in U.S. custody.

“We’re hearing there may be as many as 2-million people come over the southern border illegally this year,” said Rep. Tiffany. “They’re processing hundreds of people every day, putting them on motor coaches and airplanes out of McAllen, Texas, to be spread throughout the United States.”

The Congressman, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th District, says he wanted to ‘see for himself’ the situation taking place at the southern border, adding that Wisconsinites should be concerned about the problem even though it’s happening over a thousand miles from home.

“Wisconsin will be affected by this,” Rep. Tiffany said. “It was the change in policy on January 20th when President Biden ended ‘Remain in Mexico,’ he ended building the border wall but most importantly, he restarted catch and release.”

He blames those executive actions taken by the Biden Administration for the sudden increase in migrants looking to come to the U.S. and called on Vice President Kamala Harris, selected by President Joe Biden to address the migration issue, and Congressional leadership to act.

“When I asked the head of border patrol yesterday, ‘Has Vice President Harris contacted him?’ he said no. And unfortunately, he said ‘I don’t think she is going to contact me,’” Rep. Tiffany explained. “This is overwhelming the system right now and the message was clearly sent back on January 20th that America’s borders are open right now and whether you want to come legally or illegally and it’s happening right now.”

Congressman Tiffany says he and his colleagues will be presenting proposals to the leadership and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the hopes that action will be taken to help control the flow of the number of illegal immigrants that are coming across the southern border.

“They’re jumping the line,” Rep. Tiffany said. “We are a nation of immigrants and we will continue to have immigrants; we want to have them, but they must come legally. These people are jumping the line of people who are trying to do it the right way.”

A press release from the White House shows that Vice President Harris spoke Wednesday with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico and ‘reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral relationship’ between the two countries. It went on to say that the two agreed to continue to work together to continue to address the root causes of migration from countries including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. They also discussed deepening the U.S. and Mexico’s relationship to target human smuggling and human trafficking.

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