El Paso Standard

President Joe Biden visited El Paso on Sunday for the first time since being elected two years ago. The president's visit came after he accepted an invitation by Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso, according to a press release from her office.

According to a recent Twitter post, Congresswoman Lina Ortega believes the immigration crisis predates the Biden-Harris administration.  

"Our immigration system is broken because of the prior administration. @POTUS has been working diligently to fix the broken system by making it safer and more orderly for migrants to enter the US. El Pasoans appreciate his support and his visit."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was also present during Biden's visit. Abbott greeted Biden upon his arrival on the tarmac at the El Paso International Airport and handed him a letter which, according to a press release from the governor's office, reads, "Your visit to our southern border with Mexico today is $20 billion too little and two years too late." 

The letter goes on to commend the Trump administration's ability to not let people into the country illegally. "This chaos is the direct result of your failure to enforce the immigration laws that Congress enacted," it states. The letter ends with a plea for Biden to enforce the laws and secure the border.

The president only made three stops during his tightly controlled 4-hour visit, according to AP News. The first stop was to watch as border agents demonstrated how they conduct searches on vehicles for drugs, money, and other illegal possessions. He then proceeded to the metal border fence that divides the American city from Ciudad Juarez. The El Paso County Migrant Services Center was his final stop, however there were no migrants there at the time. He did not go to any Border Control stations or speak publicly during his visit.