Braley Tours US-Mexican Border, Gets Firsthand Look at Efforts to Secure the Border |
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 ...
Braley Tours US-Mexican Border, Gets Firsthand Look at Efforts to Secure the Border Braley Spends the Day Along Arizona-Mexico Border to Meet with Border Patrol Agents and Officials 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 |