Rep. Vargas' Statement on Meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Magnus
Rep. Vargas' Statement on Meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Magnus
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (September 26, 2022) — Congressmember Vargas released the following statement after meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Commissioner Magnus regarding proposed border remediation projects in California’s 51st Congressional District:
“Today, I had a productive discussion with Commissioner Magnus regarding border construction projects in my district,” said Rep. Vargas. “The Commissioner and I discussed at length the proposed projects in and around Friendship Park. I continued to stress the importance of ensuring the pedestrian gates stay open and accessible, and urged him to keep community stakeholder groups apprised of construction plans before breaking ground. The Commissioner assured me that all construction in Friendship Park is paused as CBP continues to work with stakeholders on how to best preserve Friendship Park’s history and legacy. I also urged the Commissioner to re-evaluate plans to construct a border gate in the Tijuana River Valley, which would be detrimental to the local environment and surrounding communities if implemented. I remain committed to fighting for our community and will continue working to ensure that concerns involving CBP are addressed with the utmost urgency.”
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Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his fifth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.