WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), Chairwoman of the House Working Group to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, issued the following statement regarding the ongoing crisis at the Texas-Mexico border.
Over the weekend, Granger visited a bus station in Laredo, TX that is providing shelter and aid for dozens of family units every day while they await transportation to take them to locations across the country to appear before an immigration court; the Customs and Border Patrol facility in McAllen, TX where hundreds of unaccompanied minors and family units are apprehended while they await to be processed through the system; and Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX that is serving as a temporary shelter and processing center for thousands of unaccompanied minors. The Working Group will provide the first update to the House GOP Conference on July 15, 2014.
“The humanitarian crisis at the southern border demands to be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. Despite the President’s claims, this is not about immigration reform, this is about managing the immediate humanitarian crisis that this country faces at the Texas-Mexico border. This is about making a priority the thousands of children who have made a horrific journey based on false hope that they will be able to stay in the United States.
“I just returned from a trip to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. I saw firsthand the humanitarian efforts that are underway by Customs and Border Patrol agents, local officials and community non-profits who are all overwhelmed by the daily volume of unaccompanied minors and family units who have been apprehended at the border. Throughout my visit one message was clear - please don’t call this an immigration reform issue, this is a humanitarian crisis and we need help now.
“The House Working Group that was created by Speaker Boehner has heeded this call to action and is working to provide immediate recommendations to help those on the ground who are facing this crisis every hour of the day. I will be returning to the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday to continue to meet with officials to hear directly from them on what solutions can be developed to end this crisis.”