Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat who often finds himself at odds with his party's liberal wing, knocked President Joe Biden on immigration during a Fox News appearance Friday night.
Cuellar, a centrist, represents Texas' 28th Congressional District, which has trended toward Republicans in recent years and has long embraced more conservative positions on issues such as immigration. Republicans are seeking to paint Biden as soft on immigration in an effort to win support from independent voters ahead of this year's midterm elections in November.
About 1.9 million migrants have entered the United States from the southern border, with about three-and-a-half months left throughout the year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Throughout the entirety of 2021, about 1.7 million migrants crossed the border.
Biden critics say the surge in immigration is due to a more lax policy, calling on the president to adapt stricter immigration measures. They also say the immigration "crisis" has worsened issues like crime and drug use. His defenders, on the other hand, point to issues including economic instability in Central America as the driving factor behind increased immigration.
Cuellar on Friday dismissed the Biden administration's insistence that the U.S.-Mexico border remains closed—echoing rhetoric from the GOP, who accuse Democrats of pushing for an "open border."
"They're just not on the same page, where they say that the border is closed. It's not closed," Cuellar said, who added that the Biden administration should enact "repercussions" to deter people from crossing the border to enter the U.S.
"There's got to be repercussions at the border, the congressman said. "Otherwise they'll keep coming."
Throughout Biden's tenure, Cuellar has been one of a handful of Democrats willing to criticize him about immigration. Last March, Cuellar criticized the president's "humane approach" to immigration.
"But [Biden's] 'humane' approach, is actually feeding the narrative that the bad guys are twisting to get people over; no ifs, no buts. I know this from talking to people on the ground in Mexico who have dealt with this problem for many years," the Democratic lawmaker said.
Cuellar's Criticism Comes as He Faces Rare Competitive Election
Cuellar has long easily sailed to reelection in Texas' 28th Congressional District, which includes areas around San Antonio, Laredo and Rio Grande City. South Texas has long been seen as a Democratic stronghold, but shifted toward Republican in 2020. The GOP now sees an opportunity to defeat Cuellar, who narrowly defeated progressive Jessica Cisneros in the Democratic primary and is facing a probe from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
Biden won the district by about seven points in 2020, and Republicans are banking on a favorable national environment to flip the district. In June, Republican Mayra Flores flipped a neighboring district, boosting Republican hopes in the state. Despite losing ground in South Texas, Democrats have made gains elsewhere in the state.
Cuellar will face Republican Cassy Garcia. Public polling on the race has not been released, and The Cook Political Report considers it to be a pure toss-up.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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