Denham, Davis, Valadao briefed by federal customs officials at Calif.-Mexico border

U.S. Reps. Jeff Denham (R-CA), Rodney Davis (R-IL) and David Valadao (R-CA) received multiple briefings last week from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials on border technology, canine utilization and inspection procedures during a multi-day visit to state-side areas at the California-Mexico border.

The members’ trip, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, focused on conditions at U.S. Detention and Processing Centers, border security infrastructure and potential threats at the nation’s southern border. The lawmakers toured a detention center, port of entry, U.S. Border Patrol station, U.S. Naval Air Station and tunnel site in visits to San Ysidro, San Diego and Otay Mesa, Calif.

“The situation at our southern border faces several challenges and overcoming these obstacles requires a multi-faceted approach,” said Rep. Valadao on Aug. 7. “There are few things more important than ensuring the safety of children, regardless of which country they hail.”

“It’s critical members of Congress visit the border and see the problems and restrictions that law enforcement is facing due to our outdated immigration laws,” Rep. Denham said in an Aug. 8 statement. “Congress must take action to secure our border, keep families together, and pass a permanent solution for America’s Dreamers – and we have to act now.”

Rep. Valadao agreed that members of Congress should have “real, firsthand knowledge of the conditions at our border and the situations our Border Patrol agents face each and every day.”

“Federal immigration policy has serious consequences for thousands of families especially those here in the Central Valley,” the congressman said, referring to his California district.  

The GOP congressional delegation toured the Otay Mesa Detention Center, where they received aerial and ground tours of terrain and border security infrastructure, including the Galvez Tunnel site.

Additionally in Otay Mesa, the Republican members visited and received an operational briefing at the Border Wall Prototype site and received an in-depth briefing on coastal threats, as well as an intelligence briefing at the Air and Marine North Island Naval Air Station.

They also observed how border patrol at the San Ysidro Port of Entry conducts enforcement operations, watched canine utilization demonstrations, and were briefed on pedestrian and vehicle inspection procedures, multi-layered enforcement operations and seizures, and advanced technology.