Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are responding to President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration.
Since taking office, the president has signed executive orders declaring an emergency at the southern border, requiring asylum seekers to wait for their hearings in Mexico, suspending refugee admissions and seeking to end the release of migrants as they await hearings.
In December, Donald Trump called for bipartisan legislation to protect people who came to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.
"Are we going to take him at his word? Is he serious?" asks Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX). "If he is, we want him and ask him to work with us."
Garcia has twice introduced legislation on the "DREAM Act;" both measures failed to pass.
"Let's not forget these are our neighbors and our friends," she says. "They grew up with our kids. They've attended our schools and our colleges. They pledge allegiance to our flag."
Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat who represents the 34th Congressional District in South Texas, says the president should also sign executive orders ensuring children would be able to remain in the United States and ensuring veterans would not be deported.
"He should sign an executive order allowing every veteran who fought in American wars who has been deported to come back to the United States of America, the country they fought for," Gonzalez says.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus cites polling showing 80% of Americans support a path to citizenship for people who came here under the DREAM Act.
"If we want to sign executive orders wholesale, let's do it for things that bring the American people together," Gonzalez says.
"They're American in every way, in their heart, their soul and mind, except on paper," Garcia says.
Texas has spent $11 billion on "Operation Lone Star," in which state troopers and members of the Texas National Guard have been deployed to the border. Since then, Governor Greg Abbott says more than 531,100 illegal immigrants have been apprehended, authorities have made 50,600 criminal arrests, leading to 43,400 felony charges.
This week, Abbott met with Donald Trump at the White House. At his inauguration, Trump said Abbott would have a "partner that's going to work with you." Trump said he would work with Abbott to build additional miles of wall, saying, "I wanted that sucker to go up maybe 50, 60 feet."
Abbott has also asked for federal reimbursement for Operation Lone Star.
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