Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C — On Tuesday, February 21st and Wednesday, February 22nd, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border in and around Brownsville, Texas, meeting with local immigration stakeholders and government officials and gathering information about the situation facing migrants.
“My trip allowed me to see first-hand the conditions migrants face at our southern border and reinforced my belief that we need to modernize our immigration system and border policies,” Senator Booker said. “Unfortunately, Congressional inaction has only exacerbated the difficult conditions that vulnerable migrants and families are experiencing.
“America is a nation of immigrants. This country has been built and shaped by those who have viewed it as a beacon of hope, and have come here fleeing terror, persecution, and violence in hopes of a better life. Our nation must live up to this history and enact immigration policies that reflect our most cherished values.
“The problems at the border are complicated and will take hard work to resolve, but we must come to terms with the fact that the status quo cannot continue. As I return to Washington, I will continue to work with colleagues to find a path forward that will address the root causes of migration, advance a more humane system for migrants, and ease the challenges faced by our law enforcement personnel.”
As part of his trip, Booker crossed into Matamoros, Mexico, where he toured a migrant camp and met with local stakeholders. In Brownsville, Texas, Booker visited Good Neighbor Settlement House, a provider that offers meals, basic hygiene and housing needs, outreach, and support services to migrants, and Team Brownsville, an organization that provides support to asylum seekers in Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico and offers assistance to families released from detention by U.S. authorities.
Booker also held meetings with law enforcement personnel, discussed economic prosperity and labor initiatives with stakeholders, and participated in a Black History Month Town Hall with staff at the American consulate in Matamoros.