Skip to main content

Immigration

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says President Biden's three-hour visit to border is "too little and two years too late"

The president’s visit comes a day after he said he was “all in” to run for a second presidential term in 2024 amid stinging criticism from both Democrats and Republicans about an out of control situation at the border that has resulted in a historic number of illegal migrant crossings

January 8, 2023 11:05pm

Updated: January 8, 2023 11:05pm

President Joe Biden arrived in El Paso, Texas, Sunday afternoon via Air Force One in a long anticipated visit the southwest Mexico-U.S. border since he was sworn into office nearly two years ago. The 46th president inspected the border and spoke to U.S. officials who have said they are “beyond frustrated” for a total of three hours.

The president’s visit comes a day after he said he was “all in” to run for a second presidential term in 2024 amid stinging criticism from both Democrats and Republicans about an out of control situation at the border that has resulted in a historic number of illegal migrant crossings.

Some have even gone as far to call the mass crossings an invasion, a situation that has compelled some southwest governors and mayors to declare states of emergency.

As part of his inspection, the president visited the Bridge of the Americas where he was given a demonstration of vehicle searches as officers looked for cash, drugs and other contraband.

The bridge is known for being the most heavily trafficked border crossing in the United States. He also visited the El Paso County Migrant Services Center and the Fort Bliss border wall with El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, County Court Judge Ricardo Samaniego and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,

“The numbers are down and it’s so different from what we have been going through the past two or three weeks,” Samaniego told the El Paso Times. “We’re really concerned that we need to sit down and have discussions, more so than photo-ops.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lashed out against the president for what he called a photo-op at a border that the state considers a crisis.

In a letter to the president, the Texas governor complained that Biden’s gesture was too little, too late.

“Your visit to our southern border with Mexico today is $20 billion too little and two years too late,” Abbott wrote tothe president. “On behalf of all Americans, I implore you: Secure our border by enforcing Congress’s immigration laws.”

After the stop in El Paso, Biden headed to Mexico City where he is now participating in a summit with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

There were more than 2.4 million border crossings across Mexico into the U.S. during fiscal year 2022, according to Customs and Border Protection reports published in October.