A Democratic lawmaker representing a border district has warned the Biden government to alleviate unauthorized immigrants too much, citing its impact on its voters, local hospitals and their potential to spread the coronavirus.
Why it matters: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told Axios he supports President Biden. But the moderate said he sees the disadvantages of attempts to seduce pro-immigrant groups, an attempt that threatens the government.
- “You just can not say, ‘Yes, yes, let everyone in’ – because then wash down there at the border, ”Cuellar told Axios on Saturday.
The whole picture: Border crossings are rising. Hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley area are already busy. The border patrol has less capacity than usual.
- Cuellar hopes the government will continue to use a public health order in the Trump era to expel migrants and families quickly, at least during the pandemic. Activists have asked Biden to end the use of the policy, called Title 42.
- He said smugglers are likely to use the shift in immigration tactics from Trump to the Biden government to persuade migrants to come to the U.S. “The bad guys know how to market it,” Cuellar said.
- Some immigrants are admitted into the country without first getting a COVID-19 test – a concern for some NGOs looking after them, Cuellar said.
- He complained about a discrepancy between the release of some unauthorized immigrants in border communities while keeping the legal, cross-border journey closed. Many local businesses depend on Mexican shopping for 50 to 75% of their sales, he said.
Cuellar is not the first Texas Democrat to warn the government of Biden about the impact of increasing numbers of immigrants on border communities.
- Bruno Lozano, mayor of Del Rio, targeted the president this month in a video against the state of emergency in Texas: “I plead and urge you to stop all measures to release immigrants.”