Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated Rep. Cuellar’s father’s birthplace.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas) said Tuesday the illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border are “hurting” President Biden’s campaign, arguing a resentment is growing among Hispanic and Democratic voters.
Asked on NewsNation’s “The Hill” whether the border situation is “hurting” Biden’s campaign, Cuellar said “absolutely.”
“My district is about 80 percent Hispanic Democratic, and guess what? When I go to church or when I go to the store, what are people telling me?” Cuellar continued. “‘Henry, you got to secure the border. We got to do something.'”
In a push for tougher measures at Texas’s border with Mexico — which is located near his district — Cuellar pointed out that his father, born in Guerrero, Mexico, followed a “legal pathway” to become a legal U.S. resident, whereas the U.S. is now seeing “too many people jump the line.”
“There’s a resentment … growing among Hispanics and Democrats, because they followed the law and now we’re seeing people just jump the line and end up in New York and other places,” Cuellar said.
Cuellar argued for the need for repercussions at the border and a different approach toward discouraging illegal migration into the United States.
Cuellar recounted how the U.S. previously used Title 8, a section of the U.S. code that lays out processing rules, including those for the expedited deportation of migrants who are encountered between legal ports of entry. The policy bars those removed individuals from seeking reentry for five years.
“You got to know how to use Title 8 — that is, you detain eight people, don’t let them in and then you deport people, and you show videos,” Cuellar said. “All we do is see people coming in, but we don’t see any messages of people or videos of people going back.”
Title 8 policies somewhat took a backseat when the Trump administration enforced the Title 42 policy, which allowed for the quick expulsion of asylum seekers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy was widely used during the Biden administration before it expired in May, and the Department of Homeland Security began processing individuals again under Title 8.
Cuellar noted a common “pull factor” is that migrants “feel that they can get to the border, go to New York, go somewhere else and wait five years, maybe give a wrong address.” He pushed for enforcing existing laws, including asylum law, which dictates asylum-seekers need to demonstrate persecution based on nationality, race, political beliefs, religion or social class.
Migrant smuggling in Eagle Pass and El Paso experienced a recent surge. The Customs and Border Protection agency announced Sunday it was closing the international railway crossing bridges in the two Texas border towns in the wake of the uptick, claiming smuggling organizations were using freight trains to move migrants through Mexico.
The surge comes as Senate negotiators failed to come to an agreement on border policy before the end of the year. The agreement in talks would also allow for additional funding for Ukraine and Israel, but time ran out before the holiday to lay out a deal.
Cuellar added he has not spoken to Biden about immigration since January, when he visited the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Hill has reached out to the Biden administration for comment.
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