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By Myra Arthur

SAN ANTONIO - U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Dist. 28) said Thursday that improvements have been made along the U.S., Mexico border.

“We still have work to do,” Cuellar said. “But if you look the number of people coming across, overall we have the lowest number we've seen in 20 years.”

On Wednesday, a bill passed in the U.S. House to fund Homeland Security, but Cuellar voted against it, he says, because Republicans added anti-immigration amendments to the bill.

“If we have some sort of policy fight, let’s do it somewhere else, but don't do it in the appropriations because what you're doing is you're playing games with the funding of Homeland,” he said.

Cuellar added that he believes those amendments will be removed from the bill before its final passage.

When it comes to border security, Cuellar believes the focus should shift even further south.

"I think the more we work with Mexico to secure their southern border with Guatemala -- work with the Central American countries -- then less people will be coming over here," Cuellar said.

The District 28 lawmaker says immigration detention centers, like those in Karnes County and Dilley, are necessary and should be under federal oversight to ensure detainees are being treated humanely.

He adds that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are visiting those facilities regularly.

Cuellar’s visit came the same day a federal judge in Brownsville heard arguments from a coalition of 25 states hoping to block President Barack Obama's executive action on immigration as a lawsuit makes its way through the courts.

The plan would allow 5 million people to stay in the U.S. who are here illegally.

"I think at the end of the day the courts are going to say the federal government has the right to determine what the immigration laws are,” said Cuellar.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen did not immediately rule on whether to grant the coalition’s request.

Hanen said the case is "an area of legitimate debate" and "there aren't any bad guys in this."