U.S. Senators to tour El Paso Border and meet with city officials Monday

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Amid the migrant crisis, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) will lead colleagues James Lankford (R-OK), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Chris Coons (D-CT) on a tour of the southwest border to survey the current state of the Texas-Mexico border.

The Senators will participate in a roundtable discussion with officials from the City of El Paso, local non-profits, law enforcement officials, business and other stakeholders.

The meeting will take place at the City of El Paso’s temporary Emergency Migrant Operations Facility located in Bassett Middle School.

Senators will tour the recently converted school, where they will see the temporary migrant care accommodations and services then host a press conference.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the National Border Patrol Council, as well as the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) are set to give briefings.

A tour of the El Paso Central Processing Center and the El Paso Del Norte Port of Entry will follow.

The list of officials included in the roundtable discussion with the 8 Senators include:

• El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser

• Steve McCraw, Director, Texas Department of Public Safety

• Major General, Texas Military Department Adjunct General Thomas Suelzer

• Jerome Washington, Lieutenant, El Paso Sheriff’s Department

• Tommy Gonzalez, City Manager, City of El Paso

• Mario D'Agostino, Deputy City Manager, City of El Paso

• Joe Sanchez, Regional Director, Texas Department of Public Safety

• Jon Barela, Chief Executive Officer, Borderplex Alliance

• Jessica Debalski, Division Disaster State Relations Director, American Red Cross

• Kari Lenander, Executive Director, Border Servant Corps

• Brewster County Sherriff Ronny Dodson