EL PASO, Texas (Border Report)—Like many of their counterparts in Middle America, border entrepreneurs are worried that government red tape, high taxes, and labor shortages are costing them business.
That’s why, on Thursday, they invited one of their elected federal officials to listen to their concerns and advocate for solutions in Washington, D.C.
“This was specifically designed for our business owners to tell the senator what they’re facing on a day-to-day basis and how the federal government can make options and opportunities for them to continue growing,” said Cindy Ramos-Davidson, CEO of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
That senator was Ted Cruz, a firebrand Republican trying to win a third term in office this November.
The son of a Cuban immigrant was emphatic in voicing support for the El Paso business community and the U.S. trade with Mexico, which sustains border manufacturing, transportation, and specialized professional industries in the El Paso, Texas-Juarez, Mexico, trade corridor.
“El Paso is a city that is based very heavily on trade with Mexico. I am a champion of expanding Texas’ trade with Mexico,” Cruz said after the chamber’s Business Roundtable in West El Paso.
He talked about supporting legislation that led to improvements at four Texas border crossings and a project to expand the Laredo World Trade Bridge to more than double its capacity. He touted the strength of the Texas economy, which he says has been the magnet that has attracted 4 million new residents to the state in the past 12 years.
“There’s a lot of people why people come to Texas, but the number one reason is Texas is where the jobs are,” Cruz said.
Candidate Ted Cruz
In a news conference after the meeting, Cruz voiced his staunch support for former President Trump and the need to bring illegal immigration under control. Border encounters have dropped dramatically nationwide since June 4, but 83,000 unauthorized migrants were still coming across between ports of entry as of the end of the month – that’s over 2,700 a day.
“We need to invest in infrastructure to expedite legal trade. At the same time, we need to secure the border,” Cruz said. “What has happened in the last four years has no precedent. […] When Donald Trump was president, I worked hand in hand with him to secure the border, and we had incredible success.”
The Republican said the Biden-Harris administration “broke the border” by halting border wall construction, ending the Remain in Mexico policy that forced asylum-seekers to stay south of the border until their claim was resolved, and allowing millions into the country with notices to appear in court instead of detaining them.
He said a new Republican White House and Congress will change that if the GOP prevails in December.
Ramos-Davison said the chamber is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. She said the chamber has contacted Democratic Senate candidate Collin Allred, but he has not responded.
“We want to be fair and equitable to everyone. We want to make sure we give everyone a platform, and they get to hear the voice of our business community,” she said.
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