Rep. Panetta Again Visits Southern Border with Bipartisan Delegation
Monterey, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) joined a bipartisan delegation of Members of Congress to visit the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona as part of his work as Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus Immigration & Border Security Working Group. This visit marks Rep. Panetta’s eighth trip to an immigration or border facility since entering Congress.
The day-long visit included meetings with federal, state, and local officials on immigration matters, tours of ports of entry and sections of the border; and engaged with stakeholders ranging from ranchers and trade leaders to law enforcement and immigration advocates. The delegation included Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Jim Costa (CA-21), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03).
“Since I’ve been in Congress, I’ve continued to press forward to try to figure out solutions for our broken immigration system,” said Rep. Panetta. “Although the hyper-politics and complex policy of immigration make it difficult to solve, trips like this provide me with an opportunity to hear from those on the ground, see the reality, and obtain the facts necessary for us to formulate commonsense legislation. There is a lot more work to do, especially as we continue to push back on this Administration’s deportation policy, but our bipartisan trip demonstrates that there is potential for us to work together in Congress to strengthen border security, ensure due process, and advance immigration reform.”
The Problem Solvers Caucus Immigration & Border Security Working Group, co-chaired by Reps. Panetta and Ciscomani, is focused on developing bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing U.S. immigration and border policy. The group has held numerous meetings with experts, stakeholders, and government officials to craft a framework for reforms that reflect both security imperatives and America’s longstanding values.
This visit builds on Rep. Panetta’s record of conducting oversight at immigration and border facilities including his recent visit to California’s largest ICE detention center in Adelanto and previous trips to the southern border and ports of entry to press for accountability, transparency, and bipartisan action in Washington.
