WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., this weekend joined a delegation of Republican senators on a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border near Mission, Texas.

“The Biden Administration could not have created a more serious border crisis than we have if they had tried,” Wicker said. “The signal was absolutely sent out … that people should come to the border.

Led by U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, the senators participated in both night and daytime tours of the border, met with border patrol officers, toured a processing center, and visited an illegal immigrant stash house.

“It's definitely a border that is policed on one side of the border – and that's by the cartels. Everything from gun running … to the most poisonous, fatal drugs, to human trafficking and prostitution. It is a shame and a crisis – an avoidable self-inflicted wound on this country,” Wicker said.

Senator Wicker has been a vocal opponent of President Biden’s border policies.

He has repeatedly called out President Biden’s decision in his first 100 days in office to halt border wall construction and suspend the Remain in Mexico policy. Wicker has cited the record number of border crossings in the past two years - more than 4.6 million and counting.

Wicker has also pointed out the record levels of fentanyl flowing into the United States, which has become the leading cause of death to those 18-45 years old.

See below for a full transcript of Senator Wicker’s remarks at a press conference on Friday at Anzalduas Park in Mission, Texas.

Click here to view photos and video from Senator Wicker’s trip to the border.

TRANSCRIPT:

Thank you very much, John, and well said. This is a delegation that I think is well positioned to go back to Washington and actually help make some changes at the legislative level that can be of service. I want to particularly single out though my colleague John Cornyn who's a great senator, the senior senator from Texas. And he has been a steady, clear-eyed advocate for sane, sensible, effective policies about the border. And I do appreciate the fact that he brings delegations down here. It's nothing like seeing it in person. And really, this should be a bipartisan issue. And I hope we'll see more than just the trickle of our Democratic colleagues coming down and seeing for themselves.

We saw a lot. We were out last night, I guess, until 12:30 or 1:00, seeing would-be getaways captured and being apprehended right there at the wall. We talked to both state, local, and federal officials, hearing from them what we need to do. We went to a stash house today that had just been raided, and in fact, it turned out to be an effective raid and arrests were made and so we were able to see these officials actually doing what they do best and what they want to do. And what they want to do is be out here on the ground representing the American taxpayer and stopping illegal immigration, rather than doing administrative work and desk work that they've been asked to do.

Let me say this - the statistics do not lie. And we see what is happening this year, 2023. We see what happened during the year 2022. And there has to be a reason for the strong uptick. The Biden administration could not have created a more serious border crisis than we have if they had tried. The signal was absolutely sent out to anyone who wanted to hear, that people should come to the border. And yes, it's not only folks from our neighboring Mexico and Central and South America, but it's from all over the world. We saw a number of Asians today. So the worldwide signal has been heard, and the world is responding because they're wanting to come here illegally.

They don't get across without help. It's definitely a border that is policed on one side of the border – and that's by the cartels. Everything from gun running to drugs, to the most poisonous, fatal drugs, to human trafficking and prostitution. It is a shame and a crisis – an avoidable self-inflicted wound on this country. So thank you all for being here. We appreciate you giving us a chance to express our views to the public and send information back home. And once again, John Cornyn, thank you very much for your really strong and effective leadership on this.