I’m back.

Last week I traveled to the Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The trip gave several legislators from around the country the opportunity to have a firsthand look at the immigration crisis on our southern border. The majority of the cost of the trip was paid for by a non-profit, non-partisan public interest membership organization known as FAIR — the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

FAIR is dedicated to advocating for responsible immigration policies in the United States. With over four decades of experience, FAIR has been at the forefront of the immigration issue. They work to provide policy makers and the public fact-based analysis and recommendations, aiming to foster an informed and rational dialogue on immigration policies. Currently, immigration is an emotional issue with various feel good policies that weaken principled policies needed to protect American citizens.

The event in McAllen featured investigative journalists, U.S. Border Patrol agents, Texas Department of Public Safety officers, sheriffs from several counties along the border, local landowners and citizen volunteers.

The standouts in the list of presenters included journalist Ben Bergquam, the South Texas Regional Director of Public Safety Mjr Dela Garza, Texas Governor Abbott’s Border Czar Michael Banks, Chief Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez, and Sheriff Mark Lamb. The crisis was described by each of the presenters as a national security issue, a humanitarian dilemma, and an environmental catastrophe.

The collective action and reaction to the crisis was frequently referred as an industrial complex of interdependent parts.

A single simple solution was never suggested. Instead, a long list of solutions which could be implemented by executive actions from the President of the United States was outlined in our discussions. Or, Congress could pass clearly worded legislation that curtails executive discretion and explicitly defines the specific and limited circumstances an alien may enter the country.

I left the border school wondering if either will ever happen.

I look forward to hearing from you. Please email me at bruce.sassmann@house.mo.gov or call Jill Ryals at the office at 573-751-6668.