Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) released the following statement regarding the executive orders President Trump signed today that would attempt to begin construction of a wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexico border:

“Today, President Trump made the disappointing move of signing an executive order setting the wheels in motion for the potential construction of a wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexico border. This is a 14th Century solution to a 21st Century problem; and a decision I cannot support.

“As a law and order Democrat and a longtime advocate for tighter border security, I believe there are more effective and efficient ways to secure our borders, such as technologies currently deployed by the Department of Homeland Security including unmanned aerial systems, aerostats, video surveillance systems, and ground sensors; along with adding improvements to river access roads and increasing the number of Border Patrol agents on the ground.

“During his campaign, President Trump ran on the idea of having Mexico pay for the building of a wall. Now, he is calling for U.S. taxpayers to front the bill with a cost running into the tens of billions. 

“Through this order President Trump is missing an opportunity to build on a great relationship that the U.S. and Mexico currently enjoy.  Instead, the building of a border wall will divide our two countries that have long-standing and mutually-beneficial cultural and economic ties. American success in a global economy depends on cooperation, not isolation.

“I will continue to fight to make the concerns of border communities a priority for Congress and the country. I am committed to doing my part in Congress to develop effective and efficient solutions that will address immigration and secure our borders, while not adversely affecting the international trade and tourism that is vital to our economy.”