BROWNSVILLE, Texas – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg met with President Joe Biden Thursday in Brownsville in what he called a show of support.
Biden was joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during his four-hour visit to the border.
The two met with Border Patrol agents, law enforcement and local leaders like Nirenberg.
“Did the president ask you anything specifically about San Antonio?” KSAT reporter Daniela Ibarra asked Nirenberg.
“Well, he asked us, ‘How it’s going?’ and I reported to him that it is a challenge,” Nirenberg told Ibarra.
We spoke with Mayor Nirenberg shortly after he met with President Biden today.
— KSAT Daniela Ibarra (@KSATDaniela) March 1, 2024
You’ll hear more from our one-on-one tonight on the Nightbeat. #KSATnews https://t.co/esJ9iYjqBm
The president used the trip to push the passage of a bipartisan border security bill which Nirenberg said he supports.
“The bipartisan border security deal is a win for the American people, and it’s a win for the people of Texas and it’s fair for those who legitimately have a right to come here to begin with,” Biden said. “It’s a win for the people of Brownsville.”
Brownsville mayor John Cowen said his city is overwhelmed and overworked by helping the migrants who come through.
“We all need help, so to our federal partners, we cannot afford to wait,” Cowen said. “We need to pass the Senate’s promising bipartisan border bill that you have championed.”
Nirenberg said he believes the bill would bring relief to cities like San Antonio.
“This border issue is so very frustrating, Daniela, because it is less an immigration crisis as it is a political crisis,” Nirenberg said.
WATCH BELOW: San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg speaks with KSAT after meeting with President Biden