Victor Hernandez - owner of the restaurant Antojitos el ímperio - loves sharing his culture through food. One year into the pandemic, like most small businesses, he’s had a shortage of customers. “I thought I might have to close down for good, and look for another job,” Hernandez recalled. He’s also had a shortage of ingredients when COVID-19 restrictions on travel hit international bridges. “A lo... Read more »
Laredo, a border town in southern Texas, is being told to prepare for an influx of migrants to arrive soon, but it is still waiting on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agents and other resources to arrive ahead of time. Mayor Pete Saenz told Newsweek that he's met with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), which have warned him the surge in ... Read more »
Federal agencies in charge of immigration at the southern border have limited resources because of the pandemic and have faced challenges in recent weeks as a growing number of unaccompanied young migrants surrender themselves to U.S. officials. Democratic congressman from Laredo, Henry Cuellar, is following the story closely. Cuellar, whose district stretches from San Antonio to McAllen in the Ri... Read more »
WASHINGTON (NEWS RELEASE) — The following is a news release from the Office of U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington: Today (Tuesday), Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) introduced the “Ports-to Plains Highway Act of 2021.” This bill would expand and upgrade the Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor to a modern four-lane, divided facility to improve economic develo... Read more »
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star on Saturday — an effort to stop Mexican cartels from smuggling drugs and people into Texas by surging state police and National Guard forces to the border. South Texas leaders welcomed the arrival of help but were reminded of a similar effort in 2014 that upset local communities. “You know, locals really didn’t like it,” said Sandra San... Read more »
Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced in a small ceremony $4 million in federal funds going to PILLAR on Friday, one of Laredo’s leading mental health clinics. The funding — awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s grant program — will be used to Implement Project Consolidated Treatment Services that will establish a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clini... Read more »
Since President Joseph Biden took office in January and began rolling back Trump-era immigration policies, many lawmakers feared an influx of migrants and asylum-seekers would overwhelm the U.S.-Mexico border. In a press conference Monday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that there was no crisis at the border. "I think there is a challenge at the border that we are managing,... Read more »
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Lawmakers warn the country is headed towards an impending border crisis. Congressman Henry Cuellar predicts the U.S. is weeks, maybe even days, away from a critical situation along the southern border. A challenge could be heading to the border. “In the last 7 days in the valley they have stopped 10,000 individuals and 2,500 individuals in the last two days and many are being... Read more »
Lawmakers are hopeful the Rescue America stimulus relief package will pass in the Senate this weekend. If it does, Texas could receive more than $27 billion dollars in relief funding. On Wednesday, Texas Sen. John Cornyn debated the $1.9 trillion bill, calling for amendments “This bill is not the answer to the real challenges that face our country poised by the pandemic,” Cornyn said. According to... Read more »
HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) — Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector in South Texas have apprehended approximately 10,000 migrants within the last seven days, including approximately 2,500 migrants within the last two days. On Thursday, South Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar expressed concern about the surge of migrants in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Democrat from Lared... Read more »
