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Biden’s proposed $6 trillion budget to impact CBP funding as concerns grow over border costs

Biden’s proposed $6 trillion budget to impact CBP funding as concerns grow over border costs
3 years 5 months 1 week ago Thursday, May 27 2021 May 27, 2021 May 27, 2021 11:56 PM May 27, 2021 in News - Local

President Joe Biden will propose a $6 trillion budget on Friday, including the allocated funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

In response to the current migrant increase, some lawmakers propose the new funds go towards more technology like surveillance cameras.

But advocates like Danny Diaz with La Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) say the potential increase in surveillance technology or a higher number of Border Patrol agents in the area is causing concern for some community members.

“We know that a lot of our family and friends are undocumented,” Diaz said. “They form a part of our economy. They form a part of our everyday life here. They work here. They go to school here. The presence of militarization freezes them.”

Diaz said he believes the focus remains on catching undocumented immigrants, even when they have valid asylum claims.

Instead of adding more funding to CBP, Diaz said it’s time to reverse Title 42, which allows law enforcement to turn away adults at the border due to health concerns like COVID-19.

According to Diaz, if people are allowed to apply for asylum, they won’t need to enter the country illegally.

But U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) says CBP requires more resources for two reasons: One, Funding comes from border crossings and travel and two, CBP is dealing with the most significant migrant increase in years.

“Last month, we had over 178,000 people that we encountered,” Cuellar said. “The month before, we had over 150,000. So [there are] all these needs.”

But regardless of how much money the Biden administration chooses to allocate to CBP, Congress can still vote to appropriate supplemental funding for the agency.

Channel 5 News reached out to CBP for comment and they said "CBP does not comment on proposed or pending legislation.

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