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The Blast: Buckle up. Budget night is almost here. [1]

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Date: 2023-04 

NIKKI HALEY AND TONY GONZALES AT THE BORDER

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley toured the Texas-Mexico border today, accusing President Joe Biden of a “dereliction of duty.”



Haley became the first 2024 contender to visit the border as a declared candidate, touring the region with U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio. They visited a stretch of railroad in Hondo — less than an hour west of San Antonio — where migrants often jump off the train on their way into the country illegally.



Standing several feet off Highway 90, Haley heard from a group of local law enforcement officials and property owners, including Brendon Lowe, president of Mumme’s feed store. He said his employees see “at least eight to 12 people jumping off the train each day.” Lowe said he calls local law enforcement, “but they’re so overwhelmed” that they cannot get around to addressing the situation.



Haley spoke with the Tribune after the Hondo stop. She said both her experience as United Nations ambassador and as South Carolina governor have prepared her to tackle border issues nationally. Among her proposals is a mandatory federal mandate that employers check the legal status of their workers, something she instituted at the state level in South Carolina.



"I know the death that comes from this, I know the danger that happens here and I know the fact that no one is enforcing the laws that need to be enforced right now," she said.



There was a healthy dose of 2024 intrigue surrounding the trip. Gonzales has expressed support for one of Haley’s rivals — former President Donald Trump — but has not been particularly vocal about it. And he has drawn the ire of some in his party for splintering on issues like the border, recently earning a censure from the state Republican Party. Haley was happy to embrace him.



“He is the border king,” Haley said alongside Gonzales during an afternoon news conference in Eagle Pass. “There is no one that can ever say that they understand the border more than Tony Gonzales.”



— Patrick Svitek



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[1] Url: https://mailchi.mp/texastribune/the-blast-buckle-up-budget-night-is-almost-here

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