Henry Cuellar
11/04/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/04/2025 08:52
Congressman Cuellar Statement on Border Wall Construction
Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), issued the following statement after the City of Laredo received official notice from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding plans to construct a border wall along the entire southern border, including areas within Laredo, Texas:
"Border walls are a 14th-century solution to 21st-century problems. Border crossings are already down, and Laredo continues to be one of the safest places to live in the United States. This was accomplished without additional border wall being added, but through enforcement of the law and investing in resources at our border. We have seen illegal crossings fall to their lowest levels in the Southwest, demonstrating that practical enforcement and coordination drive results.
"Those outcomes reflect real consequences at the border and deeper cooperation with Mexico and our Latin American partners. By aligning enforcement, information sharing, and regional responsibility, we are addressing the problem where it begins and delivering measurable improvements at the border.
"We need to continue to invest in technology and our hardworking DHS workforce, including frontline Border Patrol Agents and CBP Officers. That is why, as a senior appropriator, I have secured record levels of funding for Border Patrol Agents and $125 million for increases to Border Patrol overtime pay authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These investments ensure that agents have the resources, time, and support they need to sustain and build on recent progress.
"I support smart border security solutions that will strengthen our federal border law enforcement while cracking down on fentanyl trafficking and human trafficking. That is why I have also consistently worked in a bipartisan manner to secure funding for personnel, technology upgrades, drone detection systems, the elimination of Carrizo cane, improvements to river and patrol roads, and more boots on the ground. With targeted resources and strategic investments, we can keep communities safe and disrupt criminal networks.
"I look forward to working with the Administration to strengthen these proven strategies-expanding technology, enhancing surveillance and detection capabilities, improving river and patrol roads, and increasing staffing-to secure our border effectively and responsibly.
"Border security is about results. South Texas has shown that strategic investments, professional law enforcement, and regional partnerships are what work, and that is the approach I will continue to advance."
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"Border walls are a 14th-century solution to 21st-century problems. Border crossings are already down, and Laredo continues to be one of the safest places to live in the United States. This was accomplished without additional border wall being added, but through enforcement of the law and investing in resources at our border. We have seen illegal crossings fall to their lowest levels in the Southwest, demonstrating that practical enforcement and coordination drive results.
"Those outcomes reflect real consequences at the border and deeper cooperation with Mexico and our Latin American partners. By aligning enforcement, information sharing, and regional responsibility, we are addressing the problem where it begins and delivering measurable improvements at the border.
"We need to continue to invest in technology and our hardworking DHS workforce, including frontline Border Patrol Agents and CBP Officers. That is why, as a senior appropriator, I have secured record levels of funding for Border Patrol Agents and $125 million for increases to Border Patrol overtime pay authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These investments ensure that agents have the resources, time, and support they need to sustain and build on recent progress.
"I support smart border security solutions that will strengthen our federal border law enforcement while cracking down on fentanyl trafficking and human trafficking. That is why I have also consistently worked in a bipartisan manner to secure funding for personnel, technology upgrades, drone detection systems, the elimination of Carrizo cane, improvements to river and patrol roads, and more boots on the ground. With targeted resources and strategic investments, we can keep communities safe and disrupt criminal networks.
"I look forward to working with the Administration to strengthen these proven strategies-expanding technology, enhancing surveillance and detection capabilities, improving river and patrol roads, and increasing staffing-to secure our border effectively and responsibly.
"Border security is about results. South Texas has shown that strategic investments, professional law enforcement, and regional partnerships are what work, and that is the approach I will continue to advance."
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