Rep. McCarthy leads delegation of GOP reps. to southern border

April 26, 2022 Amber Coakley US 0

Migrants walk on a dirt road after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Tuesday, March 23, 2021, in Mission, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

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UPDATED 10:39 AM PT – Tuesday, April 26, 2022

House Republicans are demanding President Joe Biden pick up the pieces of the deteriorating situation at the southern border. On Monday, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) led a group of Republicans to Eagle Pass, Texas, where he said the Biden administration has lost its grip on border security.

The California lawmaker said the President’s open border rhetoric is welcoming illegal immigrants and people on the federal terror watch list into the US. He also derided the Biden administration’s push to end Title 42 and its move to give migrants phones, so federal agents can “check in” on them as they await immigration court proceedings.

McCarthy further lamented that border security is an issue that should be handled by the federal government, but instead those leading the efforts are officials at the state level.

“I want to to tell Governor (Greg) Abbott thank you,” he stated. “It’s a job you shouldn’t have to do, but you bringing the National Guard and others here as a determent to try to protect our borders because of what this President’s actions have done.”

The delegation also touched on the human toll of the Biden border crisis. They mourned the death of specialist Bishop Evans of the Texas National Guard who died trying to help an illegal migrant stuck in the Rio Grande.

Additionally, Texas Rep. Chip Roy claimed Americans are dying from fentanyl coming in from Mexico and others are dying from cartel-run human smuggling operations. Roy added, however, the human toll doesn’t just affect Americans.

“We’ve gotta actually do the hard work of having a sovereign nation secure a border so migrants don’t get killed,” he stated. “The 700 to 1,000 that are in body trailers that local officials have to go rent to put bodies in, the ranchers who find dead bodies on their property, the bodies we find in the river on a daily basis.”

Meanwhile, Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales touted the Republican stance on border security, adding all members are unified behind the issue. He urged members from all political affiliations to come together while stressing border security is not a partisan issue.

“Everybody in this crisis, everybody’s world is turned upside down,” said Gonzales. “We’ve heard from ranchers that their kids can’t go out and play. They have to carry pistols when they walk their properties. their childhoods have been stolen. people’s lives have been stolen. This is about bringing everyone together. It starts with keeping Title 42.”

“We have answers, we have solutions to some of these issues. It starts with Title 42…The admin wanted to do away with Title 42 a year ago, and the Republican Party fought them every inch of the way. Here we are a year later” @RepTonyGonzales on ending the #BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/yonFFnrHXw

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) April 25, 2022

In the meantime, Republican state attorneys general from Missouri, Louisiana and Arizona earned a victory on keeping Title 42 in place as a judge granted a temporary restraining order that bars the Biden administration from killing the health measure.

Additionally, leader McCarthy warned he could make a push to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the southern border. Mayorkas is expected to testify three times in front of Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.