Does it seem like the border has suddenly become a favorite place for lawmakers and federal officials?
On January 8th, President Joe Biden traveled to El Paso, Texas to see firsthand the issues surrounding the surge in immigration from Latin America. He was greeted at the El Paso airport by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who handed the president a letter criticizing his approach to the border. The next day, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn and Arizona Senator Kirsten Cinema, traveled to El Paso, Arizona and Yuma, hoping to see “the many challenges of the Southwestern Border.” is. “
On February 16, California Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy led a group of freshman congressmen on a visit to Cochise County, Arizona’s border county. He opposed illegal drugs and checkpoints at the border and promised change.At the same time, Arizona Democratic Rep. . On February 17, House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries (D-NY) traveled to the border to visit Laredo, Texas. Rep. Jeffries, along with Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents the Laredo area, visited local leaders and sought input on a variety of border-related topics. Later in the visit, Jeffries praised the Biden administration’s newly enacted policies. This has eased immigration pressure from countries such as Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. “But we need a Congressional solution,” Jeffries said.
On February 14th, when U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar visited Santa Teresa and El Paso, I was able to personally participate in a high-level border visit. I took a keen interest in Ambassador’s career as a Senator from Colorado, Secretary of the Interior, and now an ambassador to one of America’s most important allies. His family is part of a Hispanic family that has lived and farmed in the San Lewis Valley of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for hundreds of years. Part of my family is also from this area. Although raised in southern Colorado, he called himself “The New His Mexican” because his mother grew up about 60 miles north of Albuquerque. The Ambassador was greeted by Democrat-New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez to Santa He Teresa.
Like most ambassadors I have met, I found Ambassador Salazar calm and charismatic. , I saw every aspect of rancher style growing up in northern New Mexico. The visit took place in the chilly and breezy Santa Teresa port of call and Salazar was given a tour of the port facilities and Santa Teresa his cattle his crossing. Both officials’ visits were meant to promote U.S.-Mexico trade. Rep. Vazquez emphasized the need for increased federal investment and personnel to sustain the tremendous growth of the Port of Santa Teresa.
Ambassador Salazar also spoke of the importance of U.S.-Mexico trade to both countries and called for increased federal investment in the southern border. But at the end of his speech, he was open to questions from the press on behalf of both the U.S. and Mexican media. I was. He said the Biden administration has established a clear strategy in its latest policy and that more lawmakers will travel to Mexico to gather intelligence.
For me, Salazar’s comments about immigration were spot on. The US-Mexico border must work. Witnessing an unprecedented stream of transitions, we believe he must do three things. First, we must create hope for countries like Guatemala. Second, we need to make sure the borders of all these countries work. Third, we need to provide legal pathways so that job seekers can find available jobs in Mexico and the United States. He also stressed that the Biden administration has clear policies aimed at curbing illicit drugs such as fentanyl by curbing supply and demand. The Ambassador attended a friendship event held at Chamizal Park, which flows into both El Paso and Juarez.
Even if Americans, especially those living on the southern border, are skeptical that the visit will be more political and flashy, I believe they will help. , making negative comments about the border without understanding what is going on at the border. Many tend to lead comments on borders about crime, illegal drugs, and undocumented border crossers. They omit a huge border industrial base that generates billions of dollars of trade for the United States each year. They tend to overlook or fail to appreciate the strong familial, friendly and cultural ties that exist on both sides of the border. They also don’t seem to realize how many billions of dollars Mexican shoppers, tourists and tourists spend in border towns such as El Paso. It will go a long way toward developing bipartisan solutions to border issues.
Jerry Pacheco is executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program at the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or jerry@nmiba.com.
