Rep. Escobar joins panel, discusses immigration reform and border security

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez are participating in a roundtable discussion on border security and regional migration, hosted by the organization FWD.us.

On Monday, they will talk about new policy approaches aimed at immigration reform and border management.

Among the panelists is Andrea Flores, Vice President of Immigration Policy & Campaigns at
FWD.us and author of “A Better Way Forward”, a proposal for overhauling the U.S. immigration system.

"Migration happens, most people shouldn't have to use the asylum system," said Flores. "They shouldn't have to come to the border, they shouldn't have to use a smuggler network, but we have to create the safer legal pathways."

Their proposals are said to aim to reduce irregular migration, enhance regional stability, and uphold American values while ensuring a secure and humane immigration system.

Sigrid Gonzalez, a former senior advisor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection moderated the panel.

The panelists discussed how to expand legal immigration pathways for humanitarian and labor needs, modernizing border security infrastructure to enhance efficiency, and reforming the U.S. asylum system to improve fairness and processing times.

Sanchez also said she opposes the use of local law enforcement to push immigration efforts.

"What we are not going to do is enforce the border enforcement," she said. "That is not our job."

The three panelists said they disagree with President Trump's tactics on mass deportations. 

ABC-7 asked Escobar about an update on the plans to make Fort Bliss a deportation hub.

"It sounds like it's highly likely that it will happen," said the congresswoman. "It degrades our military, it sets back our readiness, and if folks are not concerned about the myriad of humanitarian reasons why we shouldn't be doing this, they should at least be concerned about the impact to the United States military."