GOP Rep.: Obama Should Visit Border During Arizona Trip

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Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) is calling on President Barack Obama to visit the U.S. border with Mexico during his visit to Phoenix.

“President Obama has repeatedly said he is looking for real solutions and not ‘photo ops,’” Salmon said Wednesday. “Yet, as he purports to ‘fix’ our immigration system with illegal and unconstitutional actions, he has steadfastly refused to visit the border between the United States and Mexico and see firsthand the people his policies affect.”

Obama is scheduled to travel to Phoenix on Wednesday and deliver a speech on economic recovery at a local high school Thursday.

In a letter to Obama, Salmon highlighted the recent crisis involving tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors and family units, largely from Central America, that were apprehended trying to illegally enter the United States through the southern border.

The Arizona Republican also pointed to the “lawlessness and violence” at the border as an ongoing threat to citizens.

“Such a crisis demands action. We urge you to demonstrate that border security is indeed a priority and finally visit the southern border,” Salmon wrote in his letter to Obama.

Obama declined numerous invitations and calls for him to visit the Texas border with Mexico during the height of the crisis of unaccompanied minors illegally entering the United States over the summer.

“I believe a visit is key to understanding not only their plight, but also the plight of our border patrol and border state law enforcement officials who are challenged every day to enforce our laws and secure our border with no assistance from the Executive Branch of the United States,” Salmon said Wednesday.

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