Findlay Times

This week, Congressman Bob Latta, along with Speaker Mike Johnson and over 60 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Eagle Pass, Texas, at the southern border. The purpose of the visit was to engage in discussions with Border Patrol agents and explore potential solutions to the ongoing humanitarian and national security crisis at the border.

During the visit, Congressman Latta expressed his concerns about the worsening situation at the southern border. He highlighted the alarming statistics, stating, "In the month of December, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported apprehending a record-shattering 302,000 illegal migrants crossing our southern border." Latta emphasized the need for immediate action, urging the Senate to pass the Secure the Border Act and his HALT Fentanyl Act, both of which have been championed by House Republicans.

"The crisis at the southern border is urgent and deserves our full attention," Latta declared. He expressed his commitment to working with his colleagues in Congress to find effective solutions, and he called on Democrats in Congress, their counterparts in the Senate, and the Biden administration to do the same.

The visit to Eagle Pass also shed light on the gravity of the situation through the sharing of southern border statistics. In 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated nearly 230,000 pounds of drugs, including 22,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl, being smuggled across the border. Additionally, CBP encountered 2,542,056 illegal migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.

The month of December 2023 witnessed a significant surge in illegal border crossings, with CBP encountering 302,000 illegal migrants. To address the influx, CBP temporarily suspended railway crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, redirecting personnel to assist with the processing of the migrants.

In terms of legislative solutions, Congressman Latta has been actively supporting measures aimed at strengthening border security. He backed the Secure the Border Act, which was passed by the U.S. House last year. This bill seeks to increase the number of Border Patrol agents, deploy advanced technology to enhance border surveillance, and resume physical barrier construction along the southern border.

Furthermore, Congressman Latta and Representative Morgan Griffith's HALT Fentanyl Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2023, aims to combat the devastating impact of fentanyl-related substances. The bill proposes to permanently schedule these substances as a Schedule I narcotic, thereby cracking down on the widespread fentanyl poisoning that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.

As the crisis at the southern border continues to escalate, Congressman Latta's visit to Eagle Pass underscores the need for bipartisan efforts to address the humanitarian and national security challenges. With the record-breaking number of illegal border crossings and the alarming amount of drugs being smuggled, it is crucial that Congress takes immediate action to secure the southern border and protect the well-being of American citizens.

Click this link to access more information: https://latta.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=404235