Press Releases

After careful consideration and hearing from Border Patrol leadership on the ground in South Texas, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024.

The legislation, which averts a government shutdown at midnight Eastern Time tonight, makes the following improvements to border security:

• Increases funds to focus on actual border security, not a blank check to process more migrants into the country.

• Increases ICE detention beds from 34,000 to nearly 42,000.

• Provides funding for 22,000 Border Patrol agents, consistent with the authorization in H.R. 2 (Secure the Border Act which passed the House in May 2023) and is in line with the funds provided in the House-passed homeland security appropriations bill.

• Provides $125 million for increases in overtime pay for Border Patrol officers.

• Includes a 25% increase for border security technology, including autonomous towers, mobile surveillance technologies, tunnel detection systems, counter-UAS, and more.

“Since taking office last year, I have worked hard to pass meaningful border security legislation. Is this everything we wanted? No, but it prioritizes the hiring of thousands of Border Patrol agents, increases overtime funding for agents, and funds technology improvements agents have long requested to help them monitor and stop the flow of illegal immigration and drug smuggling across the border with Mexico. Before taking this vote, I spoke with Border Patrol agents on the ground in South Texas who support this bill and asked for my support. With this vote, I followed through on my commitment to the Border Patrol and all law enforcement to do all I can to secure our border. This is not the end but rather the next step in our efforts to secure the border.”