By Monica Ortiz Uribe, KJZZ News for Fronteras
LAS CRUCES – The border city of El Paso wants to be a voice in the national debate over immigration reform and city leaders are saying “enough” to border enforcement.
Political and community leaders in El Paso say they believe the city is an example of a secure border. It’s their response to legislation in Washington that says immigration reform hinges on border security. El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar says that’s unnecessary.
VERONICA ESCOBAR: “When people continue to repeat that we need more border security that’s code for spending more money on walls and money on low flying drones that don’t work. We don’t need that kind of investment.”
The Department of Homeland Security reports apprehensions of illegal border crossers are at an all time low, while the number of border patrol agents doubled in the last decade. Escobar said funding should be redirected to the ports of entry where long wait times and poor infrastructure impede travel of commercial goods and border residents.
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