Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is blasting the Biden administration, saying it wants to “hide” from the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border by blocking the media’s access to migrant facilities.
The senator explained to reporters that he is bringing a group of 17 senators to the southern border on Friday.
“We’re going to be examining the facilities where illegal aliens are detained,” he said. “We’re going to be meeting with border patrol. We’re going to be meeting with the leadership.”
Cruz added, “The most astonishing part of it is the Biden administration is enforcing a total blackout of the press.”
There are news outlets that wanted to join the group of senators and bring cameras, according to Cruz, but the Biden administration said, “There would be no press, no photographs, no TV cameras” and “no transparency whatsoever.
Cruz noted he has served in the Senate for nine years and visited the border several times.
Check out his remarks below:
Sen. Ted Cruz: "The Biden administration wants to hide from the crisis that is unfolding on the southern border." pic.twitter.com/N37ULOUdz5
— The Hill (@thehill) March 23, 2021
“I’ve been to the border when Barack Obama was president. I’ve been to the border when Donald Trump was president. Neither the Obama administration nor the Trump administration blocked the press out and the Biden administration wants to hide from the crisis that is unfolding on the southern border.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing Monday that details about the media’s access to border facilities would be coming soon.
“First of all, we are working to finalize details, and I hope to have an update in the coming days,” Psaki told reporters.
She added, “We are working through with the Department of Health and Human Services, and also the Department of Homeland Security to ensure privacy and to ensure that we are following Covid protocols. We remain committed to transparency, and of course as I noted last week, we certainly want to make sure the media has access to this sites.”
ABC News received an exclusive look at videos and photos of two migrant facilities in Texas released by the Biden administration, as IJR reported.