Florida Rep. Salazar visits Texas border town, criticizes Biden immigration policies

During a visit to the southern border on Monday, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) met with Border Patrol agents to discuss the Biden administration’s failure to address the immigration crisis. 

“Going to the southern border to see firsthand the effects of the Biden Administration’s failed border security and immigration policies has been eye-opening,” said Rep. Salazar in a press release about her visit to Eagle Pass, Texas. 

“Neither those who are coming to apply for asylum nor the Americans who live here are being kept safe by the federal government. I am doing everything in my capacity as a Member of Congress to bring Dignity to American communities.” 

Today, I’m at our Southern Border, traveling in Eagle Pass, with my colleagues: @RepTonyGonzales, @RepHouchin, @RepAaronBean, & @JMoylanforGuam.

While @POTUS chooses to ignore the problems facing our country, @HouseGOP will tackle them head on. 🇺🇸 #CommitmentToAmerica

— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) March 6, 2023

Representative Salazar visited the border as part of a congressional delegation, along with Tony Gonzales (R-TX), John Rutherford (R-FL), Monica de la Cruz (R-TX), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Erin Houchin (R-IN), and James Moylan (R-Guam). The delegation spoke with several state and local officials from border communities.

Around 5.5 million undocumented migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border since the start of the Biden administration. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, which began in October, Border Patrol agents have intercepted around 1,000,000 undocumented immigrants. Additionally, Border Patrol agents believe there have been more than 354,500 “gotaways,” or undocumented migrants that successfully crossed the border without being detected. 

During Fiscal Year 2022, agents detained more than 2.5 million migrants at the border. The number of estimated encounters for Fiscal Year 2023 is expected to surpass 2.6 million crossings by the end of the fiscal year. 

Salazar, along with a few other Republicans, has proposed a sweeping proposal that plans to tighten controls around immigration to allow migrants to enter the country in an orderly manner. 

“We understand that immigrants want to come and live in the promised land,” Salazar said in a recent interview. “Orderly legal immigration is good for the country and good for District 27.”