HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — Several Texas border mayors on Monday flew to Washington, D.C., for what they believe will be a “significant” announcement by the president on immigration and asylum policies along the Southwest border.

At least three mayors from the Rio Grande Valley, including Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr., Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr., and Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda, area headed to the nation’s capitol. As is El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, and Laredo Mayor Victor Trevino, Border Report has learned.

Sepulveda spoke with Border Report as she was preparing to board a flight on Monday afternoon. She said she was making the trip to represent the border region and ensure lawmakers understand the security and trade issues that affect border communities.

“There may be potentially executive orders that will be issued by the president tomorrow. But I do not have all of the details. All I know is that if there is anything that is going to impact my community, I want to be there. Harlingen should be at the forefront of any conversations to have to do with our border. And so that is the purpose of my attendance,” Sepulveda said.

An executive order has been anticipated since President Joe Biden visited Brownsville on Feb. 29.

Several reports are speculating that Biden will issue an emergency order to shut down the Southwest border when numbers exceed 2,500 per day.

Sepulveda says she doesn’t know much yet and is not at liberty to detail any information that the White House has told her until the plan is announced Tuesday. But she says she hopes it is humane and fair to asylum-seekers, will successfully secure the border, and will ensure trade and commerce continue to flow through the Rio Grande Valley and the entire border region.

“It is important for us to be continuously telling our story, in terms of safety, security. We want to ensure that our border is secure, but we want to not be able to skip a beat in terms of growth in the region. And we have been able to do that successfully. And we want to make sure that that continues,” she said.

Sepulveda is an immigration lawyer by trade and she says in the absence of Congress changing immigration laws, she believes the president must act.

“In terms of having our Congress take responsibility and be accountable for their actions when it comes to a bipartisan bill to be able to protect our border, but it’s been unfortunate that hasn’t happened. And when that doesn’t happen, I think that the executive feels that they need to do something and they need to act,” she said.

Brownsville Mayor Cowen issued a statement saying he expects a “significant announcement at the White House” on Tuesday “that may notably impact migrants’ ability to seek asylum along the U.S. Southern border.”

El Paso Mayor Leeser said in a statement “our immigration system is broken,” and he welcomes changes to the immigration and asylum policies.

“No community can continue the effort and resources we’ve expended on this humanitarian crisis endlessly. We are appreciative of the funding we have received from the federal government so that our efforts don’t fall on the backs of El Paso taxpayers, but our immigration system is broken, and it is critical that Congress work on a bipartisan long-term plan to work with other countries in order to create a more manageable, humane, and sustainable immigration system for our country. I look forward to hearing more about the President’s plan on Tuesday, and we stand ready to work with our partners at the local, state and federal level on this effort,” Leeser said.

Other action on the border

Sepulveda on Monday also touted a White House announcement that Biden has signed an order allowing for the construction of a new international bridge connecting Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Mexico.

It was exactly a year ago that local lawmakers began an aggressive push to get approval to build the Flor de Mayo International Bridge, which has been years in the works.

This presidential permit will allow construction over the next five years in Cameron County, on the Gulf Coast, she said.

“We’re going to be able to construct that bridge to have additional pedestrian and vehicular crossings on the west side of Brownsville, and that’s going to promote even more so our trade and our ability to be able to relieve that congestion at the Los Tomates Bridge and Gateway (International) Bridge,” she said. “The Valley is still growing. The need for the ability to work with our partners in Mexico is is strong. It’s stronger than ever. And immigration, we’re gonna get through it just like we always have. But we are still a community that’s thriving and growing.”

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.