U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading a congressional pack to Eagle Pass today amidst a continuing escalation of migrant encounters at the southern border. According to CW39, the city is part of the Del Rio sector, which witnessed over 71,000 migrant encounters in December, with a significant number of them hailing from Venezuela. A staggering uptick that has local businesses and city leaders pressing for more than just a political spectacle.
Former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf advised that during their visit, congressional delegates should meet with border patrol agents to grasp the breadth of the issues and viable solutions. According to CW39, he emphasized, "[Johnson] needs to understand from them, what are the what are the tools that they need to do their job?" Wolf also underscored the need for the Biden administration to be pushed to continue effective policies.
As outlined by CW39, Johnson penned a letter to President Joe Biden, calling for immediate action and suggesting a reversion to the "Remain in Mexico" policy initiated under former President Donald Trump. Johnson's move comes against the backdrop of Senate Republicans faltering to consolidate border policy changes before the recess, which also affected aid packages slated for Ukraine and Israel.
Local Eagle Pass business owners like Francisco Hernandez, whose Western wear store has felt the economic burdens, expressed his concerns to KSAT. "I did the numbers. I think I missed out on about 40% of my business," Hernandez lamented, citing the real pinch as wait times at the international bridge skyrocketed due to the migrant surge's impact on Border Patrol resources.
The community’s call for action extended to Congressman Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, who also echoed the sentiment of frustration with the current handling of the crisis, yet remains hopeful for bipartisan solutions, especially in processing asylum seekers. Cuellar, expressing his concerns to CW39, suggested detaining people to give them "their day in court quickly, and then deport the ones that don't qualify."
In a reflection of the local mood, Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce President Jorge Barrera emphasized the need for unity in addressing the issue, stating to KSAT, "It can't just be one person or one group of people. It's gotta be all of them together." Hernendez and his fellow townspeople are looking to this congressional visit to be a catalyst for tangible improvements, not just a political stopover.
