Texas border mayor: We need more help from the federal government
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas on the lack of support from the Biden administration to address the border crisis.
The mayor of a Texas border community said Friday it is "disappointing" not to hear from the federal government, President Biden, or VP Harris about the border crisis.
Rolando Salinas, the Democratic mayor of Eagle Pass, joined "Fox & Friends" to address the lack of support from the Biden administration to secure the southern border.
The mayor described his city as a "hotspot" for illegal immigration.
"We would like more attention on this subject from our president and vice president," he told Pete Hegseth.
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Meanwhile, Texas is stepping up in place of the federal government to mitigate the crisis.
An effort to counter illegal immigration in Texas will receive another $500 million in funding through the end of the year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week.
The money will be redirected from state agencies to Operation Lone Star, which went into effect a year ago. The program is a joint mission between the National Guard soldiers and troopers with the state Department of Public Safety.
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"Texas will not sit on the sidelines as President Biden continues turning a blind eye to the crisis at our southern border," Abbott said in a statement Friday. "Texans’ safety and security is our top priority, and we will continue fighting to keep our communities safe. This additional funding ensures the Lone Star State is fully equipped to provide Texans the border security strategy they demand and deserve."
Since Operation Lone Star DPS has made over 14,000 arrests, of which more than 12,000 of those were for alleged felonies.
The morning of Wednesday, May 4, a group oof over 10 migrants crossed the Rio Grande river in Eagle Pass to get to the U.S.
Salinas said the influx of migrants affects his citizens on a daily basis.
"It's become something normal in the city of Eagle Pass, Texas. We've gotten so many calls and of course, our police department, they have to respond to all these calls. So in turn, we have seen an uptick in crime in our city. Also, our fire department has to respond to many calls regarding people drowning in the [Rio Grande] river, people needing help," he explained.
The self-described moderate Democrat said his small town of approximately 30,000 people does not have the resources to handle the uptick in illegal immigration.
"We've been asking for help from the federal government. We need more help from them. I am very grateful for the work the Border Patrol does," he added.
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Salinas emphasized the need for the Biden administration to step up on the crisis, cautioning that the end of Title 42 will only make the issue more difficult to manage.
"We expect thousands more people coming across… into Eagle Pass," he said, adding the administration's plan announced by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas does not address how migrants will be "stopped" from getting into Texas.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report
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