Rep. Scholten Visits Southern Border
EL PASO, TX – Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) and her Congressional colleagues concluded their two-day trip to the southern border to hear from local leaders and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) officials about what needs to be done to address the immigration crisis.
“We have a crisis at our borders–a national security crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and an economic crisis. So, I went to the border to see for myself how this crisis is playing out, and what we need to do about it,” said Rep. Scholten. “I spoke with Border Patrol officers, detention center workers, including doctors, those providing humanitarian aid, and migrants themselves. One thing is clear– we cannot delay our efforts to address this crisis a single day longer. This is a red alarm emergency. Today, I renew my call to House Republican leadership to bring forth our bill, the Dignity Act, the only bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress. The far-flung factions of either party are divided, but the center of our Congress is united as are the American people on a solution. The only path forward is bipartisan. We must act now.”
Rep. Scholten and her colleagues began their trip with a tour of the international Paso del Norte Bridge, a port of entry facility that connects El Paso, TX to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. During the tour, Rep. Scholten spoke with USBP officials about the benefits and challenges of the new CBP One program and how agents are able to scan over 250 migrants a day at the facility for fentanyl with just one scanner.
Watch Rep. Scholten’s reflections on the stop here.
Then, Rep. Scholten and the group traveled to the USBP El Paso Sector Enhanced Holding Facility for a tour and discussion about USBP’s capabilities and needs. The facility can house up to 2,500 migrants at a time and costs $1.2 million a day to operate.
Rep. Scholten and the group wrapped up their visit at Annunciation House, an organization that provides hospitality services to migrants, immigrants, and refugees at the border. The group toured the Annunciation House facility and met with the shelter’s leadership team. The leadership team reported a dramatic increase in the flow of migrants throughout the shelter’s 49 years in operation.
Rep. Scholten is a leader on immigration issues in Congress having worked on immigration issues for more than 20 years both on the enforcement and community aid side of the crisis. She is the co-sponsor of the only bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress, the Dignity Act, and has called for increased resources and support to address the crisis at the border.