WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — A Democrat and a Republican from Texas have teamed up on a bill they believe will solve many of the problems at the southern border.
Republican Senator John Cornyn has found an unlikely partner in Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar for what they are calling The HUMANE Act.
Cornyn says lawmakers need to follow his lead and put party politics aside to deal with the reality at the border, saying:
“This humanitarian crisis at the border is personal for us. It has now gone from a humanitarian and security crisis to a full-blown system failure. We really are on the brink of collapse.”
The HUMANE Act would speed up the process of determining who can stay in the U.S. and who must go home.
It would pay for more immigration judges and provide money to make sure that migrant families can stay together, in humane conditions while they await their immigration hearings.
Chris Wilson with the non-partisan Woodrow Wilson Center says border patrol has already apprehended more families so far this year than all of last year. “This is a huge wave of new migrants that are coming,” said Wilson. “And our system is really strained to the breaking point in terms of managing that.”
He says the problem will only get worse if Congress doesn’t address it soon.
That’s why Cornyn and Cuellar are calling on their colleagues to either join them or, as Cueller suggests: “If someone has a better idea, give it to us.”