Eagle Pass mayor tells CNN exactly who is to blame for the border crisis: 'Enforce the laws that are on the books'

Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. is under no illusions as to who is responsible for the border crisis.

Thousands of migrants are pouring into Eagle Pass — a small town that sits on the Rio Grande — on a daily basis, according to the Wall Street Journal. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), moreover, estimates that more than 10,000 will have arrived in Eagle Pass by the end of Friday.

In an interview Thursday on CNN, Salinas said he knows who bears blame for making Eagle Pass ground zero of the border crisis.

"I will be honest with you. I believe 100% [Biden] does bear some responsibility for this crisis," Salinas said. "I haven't heard from anybody in the administration. The president hasn't put out a statement, the vice president, I haven't heard from anybody.

"Nobody has bothered to call me [or] anyone in the city staff saying, 'Hey, this is the federal government. We know what you're going through. We're worried about you. This is our plan of action,'" Salinas revealed. "Nothing. We're here, abandoned. We're on the border. We're asking for help. This is unacceptable."

Salinas' comments were prompted by host Erin Burnett asking if he agreed that "President Biden is to blame for the surge."

Aside from support from the federal government, Salinas offered one request of the Biden administration: "Enforce the laws."

"Just enforce the laws that are on the books. We are a nation of laws. That's all I ask for — it shouldn't be like this. We should be able to enforce laws," the mayor said.

"If you want to come here — good, come legally. A lot of people have in the past," he added. "It takes a lot of money and years to do it the right way. And it's not fair for those people that now we have thousands of people coming in, without one single consequence. It's just not fair."

On Wednesday, Salinas declared a state of emergency over the migrant surge. He also made it easier for law enforcement to detain migrants who enter illegally. Salinas said there have been robberies and burglaries, while those working at a local migrant shelter told the New York Post they have seen an increase in violence at the shelter.

Not only are the migrants a safety concern, but they are harming Eagle Pass' economy. Because of the surge, both of the town's international bridges have been temporarily closed, shutting down a critical stream of revenue for Eagle Pass.

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