Washington, Mar 25 - Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) spent the day today along the US-Mexican border near Tucson, Arizona, to meet with US Customs and Border Patrol officials and observe efforts to secure the US border.

Braley’s trip included a tour of the border, border crossings, and ports of entry; meetings with Customs and Border Patrol officials and command; and briefings on the technology, infrastructure, and personnel being used to patrol the border. 

“I took this trip because I wanted to see for myself what the border patrol does on a daily basis as they work to secure our border,” Braley said.  “If I’ve taken one thing away from my conversations today, it’s that the problem of securing our borders is bigger than just the issue of illegal immigration.  It’s something that encompasses food safety, highway safety, the fight against meth and other illegal drugs, and our economy. 

“This has been an extremely insightful trip.  I’ve had conversations with dozens of border patrol agents and officials, and I’ve heard all about what’s working—and what isn’t—in their efforts to secure our border.  I’ll be using the lessons I’ve learned and the feedback I’ve gotten today to work for better and more effective border security policies.”

Braley’s trip was sponsored by the US Customs and Border Protection agency.  Braley joined two other Representatives on the trip: Reps. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) and John Hall (D-NY).

Braley arrived in Tucson last night and will return to Iowa tomorrow morning.  His itinerary in Arizona follows (all times local Arizona time): 

7:00am                      Travel from Tucson to Nogales, AZ

8:00am                      Briefing and tour of Nogales Port of Entry

10:30am                    Travel time

11:00am                    Lunch

12:00pm                    Briefing and tour of Nogales Border Patrol Station (including communications and camera room, evidence vault, and processing area)

1:15pm                       Border Tour in Nogales area (including Remote Video Surveillance System)

2:30pm                      Travel time

3:00pm                      Briefing and tour of Interstate 19 Border Patrol checkpoint

3:30pm                      Travel time

4:30pm                      Briefing and tour of Border Patrol camera tower along US-Mexico border

5:00pm                      Travel time

6:00pm                      Briefing and tour of operations center in Tucson area headquarters

7:00pm                      Travel time

7:30pm                      Dinner and debrief