Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and Subcommittees of Homeland Security and Defense, released a statement in response the latest FBI Crime Data, which shows that despite the narrative and rhetoric, violent crime rates in border cities are significantly less compared to the violent crime rate in other major American cities.

“Republicans, during the shutdown, have been saying that the border is more dangerous but this is simply not true,” said Congressman Cuellar. “Unlike their narrative, data shows that when you look at the actual numbers, some of the safest communities in the United States are on the U.S.-Mexico border. Cities along the border have lower violent crime and murder rates than places like Milwaukee, WI, Washington, DC, and Louisville, KY.”

“Once again, the Republican GOP is mischaracterizing the Southern region as unsafe or ridden with gang violence. But this year, just like every other year I have been in office, the numbers show that the murder rate is significantly higher in Washington D.C. than Laredo, Brownsville, or McAllen. These numbers should cause people to rethink some of the things they may have heard about this region. Misinformation like that hurts our local economy and makes it difficult to attract skilled workers and encourage investment.”

Click the following links to view charts depicting the 2016 violent crime rate and murder rate.