Vice President J.D. Vance, joined by top officials, outlines the administration’s plans to strengthen border security, amid a growing debate over immigration reform.
EAGLE PASS, Texas — Vice President J.D. Vance made a visit to Eagle Pass Wednesday, focusing on ongoing efforts to strengthen security and combat illegal immigration. Joining Vance were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, as they toured the border region and addressed critical security concerns.
The visit follows President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night, where he reiterated his commitment to ramping up border security and curbing illegal entries into the United States. During the speech, Trump vowed to intensify efforts along the southern border, claiming that migrant crossings have already reached a historic low.
In Eagle Pass, Vance spoke about the administration’s strategy for securing the border, emphasizing that the efforts are already yielding positive results.
“We are seeing progress,” Vance stated, noting that the administration’s policies are working, and they will continue to ramp up efforts to reduce illegal crossings.
The vice president also touched on the administration’s goal of completing the border wall by the end of Trump’s term, including both physical structures and advanced technological tools to assist in monitoring and enforcement.
Vance also discussed the ongoing issue of drug cartels, specifically the designation of criminal trans-national gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. He explained that these designations allow the U.S. to leverage the full resources of the military in response.
“President Trump will make the determination of how we deploy these resources,” Vance added. “But our hope here, is that Mexico takes this job seriously. We don’t want to have negative relationships with the Mexican government. “
The vice president’s visit comes shortly after Trump’s State of the Union address, where the president highlighted what he said is his administration’s border security achievements.
Trump pointed to a reduction in migrant crossings, but despite these claims, the administration is pushing for more funding to support its border security plan, which Trump refers to as “Sealing the Border.”
Vance echoed the president’s position, stating that securing the border was an essential part of the administration’s agenda. One of the major components of this strategy, according to Vance, is ensuring that resources are available for migrant flights, detention centers, and the repatriation of illegal immigrants.
The topic of the border wall remains at the forefront of discussions. Vance reiterated the president’s goal to build the entire wall by the end of his term, incorporating both physical barriers and high-tech solutions.
“The president’s hope is to have the entire wall completed, including technological tools to enhance security,” Vance said.
Vance also addressed the ongoing issue of fentanyl smuggling, which remains a significant concern for U.S. officials. He emphasized the need for Mexico to take stronger action against drug cartels, stating that fentanyl is the leading cause of death among young Americans.
“We need Mexico to take border security seriously,” Vance said. The administration has threatened tariffs on Mexico unless it does more to stop drug trafficking across the border.
While Vance acknowledged the critical role that Mexico plays in addressing this issue, he also said that if left unchecked, the Mexican government could lose control to the cartels.
“If Mexico doesn’t get control of these cartels, they risk becoming a narco-state,” Vance said.
As the Trump administration stands by its border policies, some Democratic lawmakers have expressed outrage over aspects of the policies like mass deportations.
Democratic leaders have voiced concerns, arguing that securing the border without addressing the broader issues of immigration reform misses the mark.
Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in the Democratic response to Trump’s speech Tuesday, said, “Securing the border without actually fixing our broken immigration system is dealing with the symptom, not the disease. America is a nation of immigrants. We need a functional system keyed to the needs of our economy that allows vetted people to come and work here legally. So I look forward to the president’s plan on that.”