Texas Democrat mayor pleads with Biden to visit border: 'Thousands coming in'
Eagle Pass, Texas Mayor Rolando Salinas discusses the emergency declaration and says they feel 'abandoned' amid the worsening border crisis on 'Your World.'
A Texas Democratic mayor is calling on President Biden to visit his border city to see what the community is dealing with amid an ongoing influx of illegal immigration.
Eagle Pass, Texas Mayor Rolando Salinas joined "Your World" to discuss what his town has experienced and why he is calling on the president to visit his city.
Salinas said his local economy has taken a hit from the ongoing crisis which he described as "chaotic and disappointing."
Salinas added that thousands of people have been coming into his city, which only has a population of 28,000.
"To have that amount of people roaming our streets. It's just unacceptable. We have limited resources, a limited police force, and fire teams. So it's disappointing to see all these people come in without a consequence."
"It's very disheartening to see this happening, especially here in the city of Eagle Pass," said Salinas.
Salinas said he has been in contact with his Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, as well as the state, DPS, and the governor's office which he described as very helpful.
Salinas said the crisis has also taken a toll on the economy, since of the international bridges had to be closed.
"You cross that bridge, you're directly impacting the economy of Eagle Pass and also the state economy. You have thousands of commerce trucks that come in through Eagle Pass and Mexico. So you're not only affecting the safety, but also the local and state economy."
Despite claims from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Salinas said it is "obvious" that there is a crisis occurring.
"What's happening here is not normal. This shouldn't happen in any city in the United States because we're a nation of laws. People should be able to come here legally. We're all for that. I'm sure everybody agrees, but thousands of people come in without consequence, that should not be allowed into the United States. And again, I'm just disappointed in the system."
Salinas has pleaded for Biden, VP Kamala Harris or anyone from the administration to come visit to "acknowledge the situation" and "let us know what they're doing to deter and control the situation."
Salinas said he has not received any plan of action from the White House.
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Sept. 20, 2023: Migrants mostly from Venezuela move into Eagle Pass, Texas. (Fox News)
Thousands of predominantly Venezuelan adult illegal immigrants moved into Texas and gathered under a nearby bridge on this week, reminiscent of the Haitian migrant crisis two years ago -- just as numbers are again skyrocketing at the border.
Texas troopers told FOX News that their initial count of the number of migrants moving across the water into Eagle Pass on Wednesday was about 4,000. The migrants gathered under the bridge and were waiting to be processed by Border Patrol, in the hope of being released into the U.S.
Many of them told FOX News that they were arriving from Venezuela, with some saying they arrived on a train from Mexico. The Mexican military deployed on the Mexican side of the border, but it did not stop the migrants from crossing.
Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
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