AUSTIN, Texas – A routine food delivery at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Monday unexpectedly escalated into a heated debate over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding. Senator John Cornyn was on a mission to deliver meals to TSA agents who were working without pay when he encountered Congressman Greg Casar, who arrived early and seized the opportunity to engage in a discussion.
The airport was buzzing with travelers, many of whom were heading out for spring break and the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival. Amid the throngs of passengers, Cornyn and Casar found themselves at odds over the ongoing impasse surrounding DHS funding. The confrontation began when Casar noticed news cameras awaiting Cornyn and approached them for a brief interview before Cornyn’s arrival.
“Senator Cornyn should put his money where his mouth is. Hey, Senator. Senator. I was hoping that we could,” Casar stated as he initiated the conversation. Cornyn quickly responded, urging Casar to persuade his party members to vote for essential funding. The exchange escalated as Casar pressed for collaboration on a bipartisan bill aimed solely at funding the TSA, to which Cornyn firmly replied that such an approach was “not acceptable.”
Cornyn emphasized the importance of TSA agents in maintaining safety, referencing the risk of terrorist attacks, particularly in areas like Sixth Street. The senator’s intention had been to conduct a media photo opportunity while delivering lunch, but the surprise confrontation with Casar altered the day’s agenda.
Casar countered Cornyn’s stance, accusing him of holding TSA officers hostage while pushing for extensive funding for ICE. “They are insisting on ramming through billions in ICE funding,” he remarked, suggesting that Cornyn should prioritize the agents’ paychecks over a media stunt.
Despite sharing a flight back to Washington D.C., the two lawmakers’ contrasting views reflect the broader stalemate present in Congress. Casar attributed Cornyn’s unwillingness to support the Democratic plan to the political battles stemming from the midterm elections. “Democrats in the House and in the Senate have said, TSA, we don’t got a problem with it, let’s fund it. Why would he say no?” Casar questioned, implying that Cornyn’s actions were motivated by a desire to appear more extreme than his counterparts.
The Democrats’ proposed compromises would allocate funds to critical agencies like the TSA, but they come with demands for significant changes in immigration enforcement policies. These include prohibitions on face coverings during enforcement actions and restrictions on operations in sensitive locations such as schools and polling places. The proposal also calls for requiring judicial warrants for enforcement actions.
Cornyn criticized these reforms, viewing them as an extension of the Biden Administration’s lenient policies. He argued that many individuals who have lost their immigration court appeals are simply refusing to leave the country. “It’s a civil proceeding, not a criminal one, so creating another legal hurdle is unnecessary and will only hinder the enforcement of immigration laws,” he asserted.
