U.S. representatives hold press conference at the border

MISSION, Tex. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers from Texas said the border crisis needs to be fixed, calling it a matter of national security.

They took a boat tour of the Rio Grande and then talked with reporters.

Republican Congressman Michael McCaul says the U.S. needs to get back to policies that work and blamed President Joe Biden for the crisis.

"We're witnessing a human tragedy at this border. We got back to see migrants that are detained. It's a human tragedy that Border Patrol has to deal with every day. And the sad thing is it didn't have to happen," McCaul remarked.

"Not a Democratic or Republican issue"

Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar said the system can't handle the massive surge of migrants coming across.

"There were 3.1 million people that came to the border. 2.5 border encounters. 600,000 get-aways. That's 3.5 and then about 1.5 got allowed to come in and one way or the other into the US and that's not acceptable," Cuellar expressed.

Cuellar pointed out that it's making the housing shortage worse in the U.S. as millions of Americans are now competing with migrants for affordable housing. He also said we're spending billions of dollars on migrants who eventually will be returned.

"This is not a Democratic issue or Republican issue. This is an American issue. It is a matter of American national security. And it is so important that we work together to find solutions. At the end of the day, the American people want to us to secure border and provide national security to communities in America."

Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas)

On Sunday, McCaul, Cuellar, and Representative Randy Weber plan to fly to Mexico City to talk to the President of Mexicoabout how Mexico can stop the flow of migrants into the U.S.