McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Texas’ U.S. senators this week are to lead a tour of the South Texas border with fellow Republican senators.
U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are to be be joined Friday in the Rio Grande Valley by Sens. Mike Lee, of Utah, Pete Ricketts, of Nebraska, and John Barrasso, of Wyoming, according to Cornyn’s office.
Their visit comes as President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve nearly $14 billion in additional funding for border security and communities along the U.S. border with Mexico. The funds are part of a requested $106 billion supplemental assistance package that also includes money for Ukraine and Israel.
The group of senators is scheduling day and night tours of the border on land and water. This is similar to a tour Cornyn and Cruz took in July 2022 on the RGV border.
They also plan to meet with law enforcement, Border Patrol, officials with the National Border Patrol Council, as well as ranchers and South Texas landowners who have been affected by an increase in asylum-seekers crossing from Mexico into South Texas.
They also plan to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Centralized Processing Center in McAllen — also known as Ursula — which is one of the largest migrant processing facilities in the country.
Earlier this week, a delegation of Texas state representatives, including the Speaker of the Texas House, visited the South Texas border in Eagle Pass to view law enforcement operations.
After their tour, the Senate delegation plans to hold a joint news conference on Friday afternoon at Anzalduas Park in Mission, Texas.
Check back with Border Report for more details on their visit.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com
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