Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told Fox News that the southern border is "not secure" - even though the White House says otherwise - and estimated that more than 5 million illegal immigrants have entered the country in the last two years:
No, the border is not secure. When you have 1.7 million individuals last year, and now another 2.7 million ... if you add the getaways, that's going to be over 5 million individuals in just two years. It's not secured and we've got to make sure that we have repercussions there.
Customs and Border Patrol data show that agents encountered the highest number of immigrants ever recorded entering the country in a single year, with nearly 2.5 million illegals, 227,547 of whom entered last September.
The White House defends a "secure border"
Despite both being Democrats, Cuellar's statements - who knows the Lone Star State well - are at odds with those of the Vice President Kamala Harris who in September, stated during an interview that "the border is secure," and that the border crisis "is a priority" for the nation and for the White House, phrases that have been frequently echoed by Biden Administration officials.
Cuellar's opinion is the same as that of some Texas officials, such as Governor Greg Abbott, who has implemented measures to curb illegal immigration.
Most Americans also agree that the border is experiencing a migration crisis. A survey conducted by the consulting firm Ipsos revealed that the 54% of Americans describe the situation on the border as an "invasion",and up to 40% of those supportive of the Democratic Party criticize Biden's immigration policy, a fact that reflects the dissatisfaction with the president even among his own voters.
