Xochitl Torres Small

I think the reason why it is so important that we have 100 percent deployment is that, when we get to 73 percent, cartels wise up, they shift their routes to less--under-staffed or under-utilized ports of entry, where the infrastructure is…

I really appreciate your comments about how we need--how our infrastructure at ports of entry is outdated, and that we need to invest in them.

Unfortunately, the DHS has fast-tracked expensive border wall construction projects in rural and remote areas in my district...

The importance of a workforce that is as diverse as the homeland it seeks to protect.

But we must also recognize that painting DHS employees as bad people, uncaring, or saying that the Department should be dissolved altogether, is counter to this goal.

I represent about 179 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, and finding those solutions in recruitment and retention is deeply important to the success of the security of our borders.

If we shut down oil and gas drilling in New Mexico today, we will have to shut down our schools tomorrow.

The best way to create engagement and high morale is to participate in effective, collaborative dispute resolution.

What about pediatric equipment? One of the lessons learned for me with Jakelin's passing is not having the appropriate cuff to take her blood pressure.

As I have said from the beginning, the reason for these investigations is not to punish people; it is to keep this from happening again.

In December 2018, Jakelin Caal Maquin and Felipe Gomez Alonzo died while in CBP custody after being detained in the district that I represent.

Now, Chief Hastings, I deeply appreciate the work that the men and women of Border Patrol do every single day and have done in the past year to mitigate the situation we saw at the Southern Border.

I fear the consequences should the Department not take urgent and drastic action to improve employee morale.

Any time I meet with dairy farmers and agricultural producers one of the most frequent issues I hear is the need for a reliable, legal labor force.

I fought for the inclusion of an amendment authorizing the military to treat or provide fresh water for agricultural producers who face PFAS contamination from military sites.

But please know, any time I meet dairy farmers and agricultural producers, one of the most frequent items I hear is the need for a reliable, legal labor workforce.

I know I speak for so many members of the agricultural sector when I say that we must urgently stabilize our trade agreements.

These crops and livestock are key to our economy and our culture, and it is my honor to work every day for these important programs.

We know this is a community issue, that the work that gets done at our ports of entry also impacts economies across New Mexico.

Remain in Mexico impacts us all.

I would say that asylum seekers are at a very heightened risk for danger in Mexico.

We cannot turn our backs and allow our Government to deliberately jeopardize the safety of unaccompanied children.

We have a ticking time bomb that threatens our National security at the border.

It's important to this subcommittee to bring voices together at the same table to engage in a problem-solving discussion.

Our rural communities are important threads in the fabric of our nation.