Everything Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said at President Biden's Brownsville press conference

Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., spoke at a press conference held at the Border Patrol Station in Brownsville on Feb. 29, 2024.

Cowen joined President Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the conference, having earlier received a briefing from Border Patrol officials at the border, as well as immigration, law enforcement and asylum officers.

At a press conference with Biden, Cowen spoke about Brownsville’s approach to migrants passing through his city. He said the policy, known as the Brownsville Model, is humane and efficient.

Here are Cowen's remarks in full:

My name is John Cowen and I am the Mayor of the City of Brownsville. Mr. President, thank you for visiting our beautiful city, the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley.

I believe I speak for all of the elected officials here when I say it's an honor to have you here. We stand united in our commitment to protect our communities, secure our border and uphold our values. I'm a member of the South Texas Alliance of Cities, a group of mayors from South Texas communities. We work in partnership with the federal government, local law enforcement, and nonprofits to address the challenges created by the border issue.

We understand the complexities, the diversity of thought on possible solutions, and the compelling need for to ensure that immigration is not a wedge issue.

As local leaders we are responsible for our communities, our safety and well-being. We cannot play politics with this. I am proud of the work we have done in Brownsville to help people entering the country.

Our approach, called the Brownsville Model is as compassionate and humane as it is efficient. It prioritizes It prioritizes dignity and care. For two years in a Brownsville has been named one of the 20 Safest Cities in America.

Mr. President, all of us here are overworked and understaffed. In Brownsville. We have assisted over 240,000 migrants since 2021. Our population is just below 200,000.

From El Paso to San Antonio to Brownsville, we all need help. So to our federal partners, we cannot afford to wait. We need to pass the Senate's promising bipartisan border bill that you have championed. We've studied it and it will give cities critical resources to respond humanely to the migrant challenge.

Thank you for your leadership. It's a big deal to have the President of the United States in the Rio Grande Valley. And thank you all for visiting beautiful Brownsville. Texas.

Thank you.

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.