Exclusive: This Texas Republican Won't Let His Party Get In the Way of a Border Bill

With political battles brewing over the southern border, one Republican who represents more than a third of the sprawling U.S.-Mexico boundary plans to keep bucking his party until it puts forth "realistic and tangible" border enforcement package that will "ultimately pass over the finish line" in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

"What if I told you that there are people that don't want [border legislation] to ever pass, and what if they aren't just Democrats?" Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas told Newsweek. "Would that shock you?—No."

"The reason why border security and immigration haven't been passed in a very long time is because everyone just wants to blame everybody for what's wrong," he added. "I don't have that luxury."

Last month, Gonzales refused to back a border bill led by members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus due to its inclusion of provisions that he said would limit individuals from seeking legal asylum, which he believes could drive illegal immigration, labeling the bill "unchristian." That bill did not receive a vote and continues to be worked on, with Gonzales expecting movement on it in "probably a couple weeks."

Now, in an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Gonzales shared a number of "red lines" that that bill or any other must not cross in order to receive his support. He said anything that's "anti-legal immigrant" or "curbs the few legal routes" would not have his backing. And if the package "doesn't go far enough" by not labeling cartels as terrorist organizations, he'll also oppose it.

Gonzales declined to "go off the rails" and name names but said he's willing to put pressure on anyone, Republican or Democrat, if a "realistic" border enforcement bill is hindered. On May 11, the Title 42 COVID-19 era public health order restricting entry at the border expires.

Gonzales said his district is already feeling the effects and worries things could get worse.

The El Paso and Del Rio border sectors are "completely overrun," Gonzales said. While the U.S. has experienced historic immigration at the border since 2021, Gonzales said it's usually been single sectors that are hit with a surge but that right now "it's almost across the board."

Last month, President Joe Biden's administration unveiled a new rule that will make individuals ineligible for asylum if they enter the country illegally or fail to apply for protection in the other nations they cross through on their way to the U.S. The law would go into effect in May to coincide with the end of Title 42.

"It feels like it's Groundhog Day," Gonzales said, regarding the ending of Title 42, as this is not the first time the Biden administration has tried to end the rule. As individuals in Gonzales' district reckon with illegal crossings, sometimes through their own back yards, the Texas representative said passing enforcement legislation remains a top focus.

In a divided Congress, getting a border bill on Biden's desk may require the House to pass a bipartisan measure. The previous iteration proposed by the Freedom Caucus did not receive co-sponsorships from any Democrats, including Democratic Texas border Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, members of the Blue Dog Coalition who rank among the most conservative House Democrats.

When asked whether he would support a bill that fails to gain the support of the two border Blue Dogs, Gonzales declined to answer, saying he did not "want to get too far ahead of it." Instead, the Texan, who co-chairs the 17-member GOP Congressional Hispanic Conference, placed himself as the standard-bearer.

"If the bill can't get my support when I represent nearly half of the border ... it's going back into committee," Gonzales told Newsweek. "As I'm talking about the things I'm for, it's not just Tony Gonzales," he added. "It only takes five members to sink anything."

In its platform on immigration and border security, the Hispanic Conference writes that America is a "nation of immigrants" and a "nation of laws." However, it describes the current system as "broken" and believes there must be "reform."

In the vein of this position, along with labeling cartels as terrorist organizations, Gonzales wants harsher penalties for individuals who smuggle people across the border and for those responsible for fentanyl-related deaths. He also wants funding allocated toward local law enforcement who've aided in combatting illegal immigration as well as a 14 percent pay increase for Border Patrol agents.

Both Democrats and Republicans have suggested that immigration and border security proposals must come forward in the same package, but Gonzales sees them as separate issues.

While his primary focus has been on border enforcement, he said he's quietly been working on immigration. Addressing that issue, Gonzales said "absolutely" there's an opportunity to gain the support of conservative House members to pass provisions aimed at updating work visa pathways and combatting the immigration court case backlog that has resulted in over 2 million pending cases.

"There are some people just looking to go 'how do I get to 218,' and 'once I get to 218, the problem is no longer mine,'" Gonzales told Newsweek. "I don't view the world that way because the problem is mine, because the problem is in my district."

"I'm trying to make sure that whatever goes to the Senate, there's at least something that may be even tangible working with, it's not just completely 100 percent a messaging bill that has nowhere to go," Gonzales added. "We owe it to everybody to pass real, tangible solutions, not just political rhetoric and blame the Senate or blame anyone."