Elon Musk says he will travel to Eagle Pass, Texas, this week to witness firsthand the surge of migrants at the southern border.
Musk, who owns Tesla and SpaceX, made his announcement in a Tuesday post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which he also owns. His comments came after he said he spoke with Rep.Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.
Musk wrote: “I spoke with Rep Tony Gonzales tonight — he confirmed that it is a serious issue. They are being overwhelmed by unprecedented numbers — just hit an all-time high and still growing! Am going to visit Eagle Pass later this week to see what’s going on for myself.”
Amid thousands of migrants pouring into the border town, Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. said his city has been "abandoned" by the Biden administration and, furthermore, that he "100%" believes the president bears "some responsibility for this crisis."
Salinas declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, prompting President Joe Biden to send a further 800 troops to the border. But Salinas, a Democrat, has not heard from the White House as an estimated 4,000 migrants crossed over into Eagle Pass, situated on the Rio Grande, on Wednesday alone last week.
Migrant crossings along the southern border surpassed 8,600 over a 24-hour period, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, CNN reported.
One day last week, about 11,000 migrants reached the Mexican border with the U.S., Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena said during a news conference on Friday.