A group of top Republicans probing security along the U.S.-Mexico border have kicked off a 1,969-mile road trip to see the latest technology being used to curtail illegal immigration.
The three-day trip comes as the House of Representatives continues to mull the immigration reform bill proposed by the bi-partisan Gang of Eight senators.
Those making the journey include House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul of Texas and Reps. Raul Labrador of Idaho, Trent Franks of Arizona, Leonard Lance of New Jersey, Kevin Yoder of Kansas, Rick Crawford of Arkansas and Richard Hudson of North Carolina.
ABC News reports the group began their tour Sunday in San Diego, then headed to Tucson, Ariz. On Tuesday, they were scheduled to see Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
"As we have witnessed this year, increased enforcement in Arizona has pushed illegal border crossings into Texas," McCaul said.
"We cannot continue the administration's ad hoc approach of patching holes only to see illegal immigration shift instead of stop, and we can't continue to throw money at the problem without an idea of what is necessary to bridge gaps in security," McCaul said.
The group is being accompanied by federal Border Patrol Chief Michael Fischer.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia told Fox News Sunday: “We know the system is broken. We want to fix it.”
In June, the Senate passed its version of immigration reform, which includes $46 billion to double the size of the Border Patrol and complete a 700-mile-long fence.
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