A Democratic lawmaker representing a border district warned the Biden government to ease unauthorized immigrants too much, citing their impact on his constituents, local hospitals and their potential to spread the coronavirus.
Why it matters: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told Axios that he supports President Biden. But the moderate said he sees the downsides of attempts to appease pro-immigrant groups, an effort that threatens to blow up the government.
- “You just can’t say, ‘Yes, yes, let everyone in’ – because then we are down there at the border, ”Cuellar told Axios on Saturday.
The big picture: Border crossings are increasing. Hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley area are already busy. The Border Patrol has less capacity than usual.
- Cuellar hopes the government will continue to use a Trump-era public health order to expel adult migrants and families quickly, at least during the pandemic. Activists have called on Biden to end the use of the policy called Title 42.
- He said smugglers will likely use the shift in immigration tactics from the Trump to the Biden administration to convince migrants to come to the US. “The bad guys know how to market this,” said Cuellar.
- Some immigrants are let into the country without first undergoing a COVID-19 test – a concern for some nongovernmental organizations that look after them, Cuellar said.
- He complained about a discrepancy between the release of some unauthorized immigrants in border communities while keeping legal, cross-border travel closed. Many local businesses depend on Mexican shoppers for 50% to 75% of their sales, he said.
Cuellar is not the first Texas Democrat to warn the Biden government of the impact of a growing number of immigrants on border communities.
- Faced with weather conditions in Texas, Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano addressed the president in a video this month: “I implore and urge you to please end all measures related to the release of immigrants.”