'Repercussions' are essential for slowing surge at border, Texas Democrat says

Rep. Henry Cuellar said Sunday there need to be more “repercussions” to prevent immigrants from attempting to cross the border illegally.

Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” the Texas Democrat said, “We need to have repercussions at the border. What does that mean? You’ve got to deport people, and you’ve got to show images of people being deported. When was the last time we saw people going the other way instead of just seeing people flow in?"

Cuellar, who represents a district that extends from San Antonio to the Mexican border, also said he thought neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump has offered comprehensive solutions to immigration problems at that border.

“I think Trump went too much to the right by doing the separation of families and kids, and then I think President Biden, the administration, is not doing enough. We’ve got find the right balance,” he told host Bill Hemmer. “You’ve got to listen to the community leaders.”

Cueller also said that there need to be solutions that keep would-be immigrants from arriving at the border, instead of having the situation addressed there. He said that Mexico’s assistance had helped lessen waves of immigration in both 2015 (under former President Barack Obama) and 2019 (during Trump’s presidency).

“I've been saying this for years,” Cuellar said, “we as Democrats and Republicans can continue playing defense on the 1-yard line, or we can play defense on their 20-yard line — and that is getting Mexico to do more.”