SAN ANGELO, Texas — The border crisis has intensified in past months as caravans of migrants try to cross the southern border into the United States.
Border security has been a topic of discussion among politicians, many voicing concerns and offering solutions. Congressman August Pfluger says we are not doing enough to protect our borders.
“When you look at the track record, the President, Biden and his administration have on average since he took office, 200,000 illegal immigrants have come across the border," Pfluger said.
He says the ongoing border crisis is affecting border communities the most as crime has increased.
“It's incredibly devastating to those communities, to their lives, to their churches and to their schools and to the hospitals and to everything that they have, because it is an abandonment of law and order. And instead of having a legal way in an orderly way with consequences, they tell me there's no consequences,” Pfluger said.
Migrants try to cross the border daily, despite the consequences they may face along the way. Pfluger says the process for migrants to become legal takes too long.
"We need the help from Mexico, policies like remain in Mexico. The migrant protection protocols, policies that work with the northern triangle countries to stem the flow will help provide an orderly line and an orderly process instead of the out of control chaos we see now,” Pfluger said.
In Eagle Pass, a servicemember assigned to Operation Lone Star died Tuesday by a self-inflicted gunshot with his duty weapon. Pfluger says the federal government has to provide all law enforcement, military personnel and their families with the resources they need and more.
“It's tragic. It's absolutely tragic. I mean, as a military member, you want to know that even if it's hard to do your job, that your boss backs you up, that your commander backs you up. And I think right now a lot of these Border Patrol agents, a lot of the Customs and ICE agents are questioning that we have to do better. This country is better than that,” Pfluger said.
He says more broadly it comes back to having the political will to allow agents to do their job.