As election season heats up, lawmakers on opposite sides are stating that the reported dip in border crossings is not permanent and that Congress must pass legislation to continue the trend.
On Sunday, CBS' "Face the Nation" separately interviewed Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, on the topic.
When asked by host Margaret Brennan what was responsible for the decline in border crossings, which still dwarf years in previous administrations, Murphy responded, "It is because of, I think, smart, effective diplomacy between the United States and the Mexican government."
"I don't know that it's permanent," he continued. "And so I think we have to just recognize that without updating the laws of this country, without surging more resources to the border, we can't count on the numbers staying as low as they are today."
Customs and Border Protection reported that, according to its latest figures, it encountered 179,725 illegal crossers in April. In April of last year, the number of encounters totaled 211,992.
Gonzales also agreed with Murphy's point that Mexico was responsible, at least in part, for the decline in border crossings.
"Well, first off," Gonzales told Brennan, "it doesn't have to do with what Joe Biden has done. We're on pace for 1.3 million people to come over illegally. The numbers are down. The explanation is Mexico. In many, many ways this is just Mexico carrying Biden a couple rounds. Now Joe Biden wants to secure this thing long-term, I think he needs to stop looking at the Senate for a solution and look to the House."
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.