Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement after once again traveling to the Lower Rio Grande Valley sector to visit Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing centers.

Dr. Burgess, alongside other physicians serving in Congress, visited CBP facilities in Texas. 

“Today I returned to southwest Texas to visit Customs and Border Protection facilities that serve as migrants’ first point of contact in the United States. This spring, an unprecedented number of migrants have arrived at these centers, overwhelming CBP personnel and resources allocated to care for those who cross the border without legal status. The current caseload at these facilities is extended far past their intended capacity, delaying CBP’s ability to process migrants quickly.

“There can be no question that the situation on the border is a humanitarian and security crisis. Yesterday, Congress took an important step by appropriating additional funding to help federal agencies respond to the thousands of migrants crossing the border each day. However, we will not see the end of this dangerous cycle until Congress does its job and fixes our nation’s broken laws that incentivize illegal entry and encourage families to attempt the dangerous journey to the southern border.”

Background:

Since 2014, Dr. Burgess has taken 10 trips to the southern border, as well as many trips to Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) shelters for unaccompanied migrant children. Prior to today’s visit, he traveled to the Lower Rio Grande Valley sector to visit an ORR shelter in Brownsville, TX and a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing facility in McAllen, TX on May 29, 2019. In February, Dr. Burgess visited two ORR shelters in south Florida, including the Homestead ORR facility.

Last summer, Dr. Burgess visited the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to learn about the humanitarian and economic challenges that contribute to irregular migration. You can read more about his trip to the Northern Triangle here.