TX Dem Blasts Harris for Inspecting Border 800 Miles from Crisis Region

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) criticized Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday for visiting the the Southern border 800 miles from the crisis region of illegal immigrant crossings.

Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, told Fox News he is sure Harris’ “planners” told her it is “politically safer” to go down to El Paso rather than where the crisis is raging in the southern part of the state.

“I’m sure her planners told her that if you’re going to go down to the border, go to something that’s safer to go to, that is, politically safer,” Cuellar said. “The epicenter is down there in the Lower Rio Grande, the lower part of my district down there. If you look at the numbers that are down there compared to El Paso, you’re not going to get a true picture of what’s happening.”

Cuellar also revealed that his Border Patrol friends asked him why Harris was inspecting an area so far from the crisis region.

“Yesterday, I got a call from one of my Border Patrol friends and say, ‘Hey, why is she going over there? We got about 140% higher crossings over here, and this is where the activity’s at.’ And I couldn’t answer him,” Cuellar said.

“Even if she goes to El Paso, which is a first step, she’s got to spend time with landowners, with stakeholders, with cities and counties officials,” Cuellar continued. “And I hope she sits down with our brave men and women in green, and in blue, our Border Patrol agents, so they don’t just get a pat in the back, but they actually get some reinforcement and some support down there.”

According to the Washington Examiner, “The Border Patrol divides the 1,950-mile border into nine regions.” A nearly 700 percent spike in illegal immigrant crossings has occurred since May of 2020.

To combat the surge, Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) have asked states send help to protect the border, a responsibility of the federal government via the United States Constitution.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) answered Ducey and Abbott’s call on Friday and will permit Floridian tax payer funded law enforcement to assist Texas and Arizona’s law enforcement.