MCALLEN, TEXAS – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) visited the South Texas region to see firsthand the effects of the humanitarian crisis created by Joe Biden’s open border agenda. She met with officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas National Guard, and U.S. Border Patrol, along with local law enforcement and ranchers.

“Joe Biden’s open border agenda has emboldened drug cartels, human traffickers, and sex traffickers, creating a crisis like we’ve never seen,” said Senator Blackburn. “This August alone, illegal border crossing attempts skyrocketed by over 318 percent compared to August 2020. Border Patrol agents just want to do their job, but President Biden is cutting their resources. During my visit, I was pleased to hear about how the state of Texas has stepped in to help fill the void and assist the outstanding men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol in combatting this crisis. The work being done through Operation Lone Star, the National Border Patrol Council, and DPS is extraordinary. However, our Border Patrol is still overextended, and the Biden administration must act now. It is clear their current immigration policy is inhumane and unsustainable. Until our border is secure, our entire nation’s security is at risk.”

Near the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission, Texas, Senator Blackburn conducted a line tour with Border Patrol agents led by the National Border Patrol Council. Senator Blackburn surveyed drug and human smuggling hot spots, in addition to abandoned border wall sites.

Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety showed Senator Blackburn the full extent of the humanitarian crisis. The DPS Tactical Marine Unit patrols the Rio Grande River and regularly rescues illegal aliens attempting to cross through the water. 

In Falfurrias, Senator Blackburn met with local law enforcement, ranchers, and landowners who are forced to deal with property damage caused by illegal aliens trespassing through their land to avoid Border Patrol checkpoints. It is not uncommon for these ranchers to find the bodies of dead migrants on their properties.

Senator Blackburn observed Border Patrol night operations, line watch duties and the Temporary Outdoor Processing Site (TOPS) that has been established to deal with the influx of migrants.