Democrat Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar wrote Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday, inviting her to visit the U.S. Southern Border.
In his letter, according to The Washington Post, Cuellar addressed what he referred to as an “immigration crisis.”
“Texas’ 28th Congressional District contains 300 miles of our international border with Mexico. Leaders of our local border communities, including our mayors, police chiefs, sheriffs, emergency personnel, landowners, and judges understand the dynamics fueling the immigration crisis,” he wrote.
Cuellar went on to say that, as someone who has lived in the region his entire life, he hopes to offer himself as a resource. He said that it was important to meet with local stakeholders and residents to address their concerns, with the goal of implementing “more effective policies.”
Recently, the U.S. has experienced an unprecedented number of illegal border crossings. The United States Border Patrol apprehended 180,000 migrants at the border in the month of May.
“The rapid rise in the number of migrants arriving at our Southern Border has placed severe burdens on our communities. As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, South Texans continue to struggle economically, due to outdated commercial travel restrictions. The situation on the border will only worsen, as more migrants are expected to arrive. The Administration needs to take a proactive approach to create a sustainable system of humanitarian aid to relieve everyday Americans of that responsibility,” Cuellar wrote. (RELATED: Record Number Of Migrants Attempted To Enter The US In May, Border Officials Say)
Harris recently traveled to Mexico and Guatemala, where she urged migrants to “not come.”
A reporter asked Harris in March about her plans to visit the border. She replied, “Not today!”
After laughing in response to the question, Harris followed up her answer and said she has “before” and was sure she “will again.”