A bipartisan delegation of influential Texas state lawmakers visited key border infrastructure projects in South Texas this week, as debate heats up over additional funding for border security measures.
The group, which included members of the House and Senate transportation and homeland security committees, toured the Laredo World Trade Bridge expansion project as well as proposed sites for new international bridges in Starr and Cameron counties.
The lawmakers’ visit comes as the Texas legislature considers allocating another $1.5 billion for border barriers and law enforcement along the Mexico border, on top of the nearly $1.5 billion already approved since 2021.
Governor Greg Abbott has made completing former President Donald Trump’s border wall a priority, clashing with the Biden administration which halted the project.
At a press conference at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, the No. 1 inland port on the U.S.-Mexico border, both Republican and Democratic legislators stressed the economic importance of facilitating legitimate cross-border trade and travel.
Efficient border infrastructure is critical for the Texas economy, said State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen).
The World Trade Bridge expansion will add much-needed commercial traffic capacity.
State Rep. Terry Canales (D-Edinburg), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, touted the $237 million the state has allocated for a new “International Bridge Trade Corridor” highway connecting Pharr, Donna and Rio Grande City in Hidalgo and Starr counties.
This project will boost both trade and border security in South Texas, said Canales.
Republicans emphasized the need for more barriers and law enforcement to prevent illegal crossings, however.
While facilitating legitimate trade and travel is important, we must secure the border, said State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury).
That’s why we need to complete the wall and give our brave border agents and troopers the resources they need.
The Texas delegation also met with Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya to discuss shared infrastructure priorities. Cuellar noted that Mexico has pledged $800 million to upgrade border security technology at ports of entry.
The Texas lawmakers’ tour took place against the backdrop of record migrant encounters at the southern border, which have strained federal, state and local resources.
In December, Border Patrol reported over 300,000 encounters, far above pre-pandemic levels.
While the Biden administration has continued to use Trump-era policies to turn away many migrants, it has clashed with Texas over Governor Abbott’s efforts to take border enforcement into his own hands.
This includes the state’s buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and a new law-making illegal entry a state crime.
As the U.S. House considers impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border, the debate over immigration and border security seems likely to only further intensify heading into the 2024 elections.
But this week’s bipartisan border tour shows that even in polarized times, there may still be some common ground on practical solutions to facilitate trade and secure the border.
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