El Paso County Judge testifies before House Judiciary Committee on border crisis

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Judge Ricardo Samaniego testified before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. He served as a witness to the ongoing border crisis. Samaniego spoke about the impact of the crisis on the Borderland.

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar introduced Judge Samaniego. Other witnesses included a sheriff from Arizona and the leader of the anti-fentanyl organization Forever 15 Project.

Samaniego faced harsh questioning from Republican lawmakers. He presented an encouraging outlook on the crisis, which GOP representatives were quick to criticize.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff asked Samaniego about the possibility of migrants smuggling drugs into the country. Samaniego believes that drug smuggling is not an issue among migrants, who he says are vetted before entering.

The hearing also focused on the fentanyl crisis. Republican lawmakers linked the rise in fentanyl use to other issues along the border.