[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CRISIS UNFOLDING AT SOUTHERN BORDER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. De La Cruz) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DE LA CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the crisis 
unfolding at the southern border, a crisis that has been grossly 
neglected by the Biden administration.
  Let's be clear: Texas is stepping up to the plate, because under 
President Joe Biden's failed leadership, the Federal Government has 
abdicated its responsibilities.
  Under the Constitution, it is the Federal Government's job to secure 
our borders. If the Biden administration did its duty, Texas law 
enforcement officials could focus on local issues, not Federal issues. 
However, President Biden won't even acknowledge the crisis at our 
doorstep, and that is why Texas is leading the charge on border 
security.
  This was entirely avoidable. How do we know this? Due to President 
Biden's decision to roll back effective border security policies it has 
sparked an unprecedented increase in illegal immigration, leaving Texas 
in the untenable position of having to manage this crisis.
  The Biden administration's current lawsuit against Texas underscores 
its own failures.
  In south Texas, we are on the front lines of this crisis, witnessing 
the chaos and the strain that illegal crossings are causing to local 
communities. This isn't just a policy failure; it represents a clear 
and present danger to our local communities, to extremely vulnerable 
immigrants, and really to all Americans.
  Let me also address some of the other nonsense we are hearing from 
the other side.
  My name is Monica De La Cruz. I am the granddaughter of Mexican 
``campesinos,'' ``farmers,'' and I am from Hidalgo County, which is 
over 90 percent Hispanic. In fact, no one would ever confuse my 
children or me as anything other than Hispanic. We are very proud of 
our Latino heritage, so this entire notion that concerns over border 
security are somehow anti-immigrant or racist is itself racist.
  The bigotry of low expectations that assumes that just because we are 
Hispanic, we do not care about this country's laws, and that we do not 
care about having safe and secure borders is simply not true. In fact, 
it is just ignorant.
  Mark my words, the Biden White House's refusal to address this crisis 
and its insistence on labeling those who are concerned with border 
security as racist will cost this administration dearly.
  We do not like this mess. Guess what? It affects our neighborhoods, 
our bodegas, our kids' schools. They are all on the front lines of this 
crisis, along with those of the millions of other patriotic Americans.
  We are sick and tired of weak border policies being misrepresented as 
compassionate. No, Mr. Speaker. True compassion is enforcing our 
country's immigration laws, requiring people to come here legally and 
safely, and protecting Americans from the dangers posed by weak 
borders.
  As a Congresswoman, I refuse to stand idly by. The situation we are 
facing is detrimental and it is inhumane, not only to Texans, but also 
to the American people and those who are being exploited by the coyotes 
and the cartels.
  This crisis demands immediate and effective Federal attention, which 
we have yet to see under the Biden administration.

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