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EL PASO, TX – Today, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) traveled to El Paso, Texas, to tour a port of entry, border wall construction, and an ICE processing center at the southern border with agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

“The men and women who work to protect our border are the very best our nation has to offer,” said Senator Cramer. “We had a productive day of touring these facilities and seeing the border while meeting with those on the ground and observing the crisis they are managing first hand.”

Senator Cramer’s tour started with CBP at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry and processing facility. CBP previously reported illegal immigrant apprehensions at the southern border reached a 12-year high in 2019. In fiscal year 2019 alone, 862,788 people have attempted to enter the country illegally. CBP showed the Senator how they process legal and illegal immigrants, and demonstrated their ability to constantly adjust to handle the number of people coming in.

“I am always impressed by their work,” Senator Cramer remarked of CBP. “And I am growing more and more thankful for it each day.”


From there, Senator Cramer went to Monument Three- near the Rio Grande- to view the border and receive a briefing on border security operations and border wall construction. This comes as U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper approved 20 additional miles of 30-foot high barriers along the southern border.

“President Trump promised to make our border safe and secure,” Senator Cramer said. “It is good to see what is working here, and I hope their progress continues.”

The day’s events concluded with a visit to the ICE El Paso Service Processing Center. In the last two years, ICE officers arrested 266,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records.

“I appreciate how well they maintain their facilities,” Senator Cramer said of the ICE Facilities. “These workers do an excellent job caring for the detainees.”


For more photos of Senator Cramer’s trip to the border, please click here. For video of the day’s events, please click here.