Arizona Senator Sinema tours southern border, urges support of Bipartisan Solutions Act

Sen. Sinema joins group of lawmakers visiting southern border

HIDALGO, Texas - Pressure is mounting along the southern border for Washington to do something to address the influx of migrants crossing into the U.S.

Touring the U.S.-Mexico border, Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona urged immediate support of their Bipartisan Solutions Act, which was introduced last month.

"Obviously, we've got some huge challenges," said Cornyn.

"They live the rest of their lives in fear without any paperwork and in possible chance of deportation. that doesn't solve their problem so if someone did leave their country because of persecution and fear or death they want to get in front of a judge, they want to get the case decided so they can live a new life free from fear," said Sinema.

If passed, the bill would create four new regional processing centers to help handle the influx of migrants on our southern border.

Sinema says the bill would also create a way to track migrant children by placing them with sponsors in the U.S.

Sinema and Cornyn's visit comes one day after Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration in 34 Texas counties addressing what he says is an "ongoing surge" of illegal migration.

In a statement on June 2, Abbott defended his decision, saying "President Biden’s open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities... Texas continues to step up to confront the border crisis in the federal government's absence, but more must be done."

"The criminal cartels control the Mexican U.S. border and Joe Biden administration handed it to them," said Tom Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and FOX News contributor.

Meanwhile, in Costa Rica, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior leaders of Central American countries, as the Biden administration works to address what it calls "root causes" of migration.

"President Biden proposes to make a very historically significant investment of $4 billion over four years to help countries address these root causes."

And this weekend, Kamala Harris will make her own visit to Central America, her first foreign trip as vice president.

FOX News channel's Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.