Raw Account of Senator’s Weekend Trip to the Border

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., traveled to Texas this weekend for a first-hand look at the security at the U.S. border with Mexico.

The trip comes as Congress wrestles with how to fund the Department of Homeland Security with a deadline of Feb. 27. Conservatives hope to use the funding measure as leverage to attack President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal, Sasse explained why he made the trip to the border:

“Washington talks about the border as if it isn’t a real and dangerous place with men, women, and increasingly even children. Getting serious about securing our southern border starts by honestly assessing the challenges we face and setting high goals with data-driven metrics to hold Washington accountable. I’m eager to take the lessons we’ve learned here to Congress so we can begin tackling these problems with real solutions.”

Sasse rode in a Customs and Border Protection helicopter with Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

He used his Twitter account to post photos and thoughts throughout the tour.

Met w/ 2 dozen ranchers. 1 gave me folder of pics of dead bodies found on his&his neighbors ranch in last 2yrs. Mostly teens&20-somethngs

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

16kilo trafficker will be prosecuted, but many agents worry that widespread catch&release encourages recidivism: pic.twitter.com/goxTinphTP

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

Dogs 1, Retrofitters 0. K9 sniffed out this fake drug smuggling van seat. Sixteen kilos of cocaine found: pic.twitter.com/TzgRuV9PuI

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

Decision-making regarding permission to enter US uses human agents, lots of IT/screening, & many K-9 noses pic.twitter.com/Tkq5OS5aoI

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

Bridge on left is traffic north into Tex, waiting for screening & admission into world's greatest nation: pic.twitter.com/XkzxOfaB2m

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

CBP commish Gil Kerlikowske (Fmr Seattle police chf): kind o leader who exudes respect 4front-line folks on his team pic.twitter.com/lT1hASGLQh

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

Wish I cld tweet this surveillance image of balloon camera tracking 13folks attempt'g cross'g of RioGrande. BP ground agents now gett'g call

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 8, 2015

Aerostat surveillance balloons are regularly deployed at 1k feet & can see 8-10 miles when weather permits: pic.twitter.com/vAskRkP47w

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Bureaucracies are structurally &culturally pre-disposed to Orwellian terms. Ck out the name of this chart: pic.twitter.com/1LIcvKnraS

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Lots of hi-tech on border. But still much old-tech too. Meet Bob (left) and George DeLeon, working for you: pic.twitter.com/FU2N3EgPNr

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Is US Fish&Wildlife really spendg taxpayr $ 2aggressively seed N shore when BP agents r ask'g 4better lines of sight? pic.twitter.com/FkMOnKIhk6

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

This is a bad guys human trafficking launch on S. bank of Rio Grande. We knew; only some Mexican agencies will help pic.twitter.com/SkZZdSqhSl

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Parts of this River are amazingly shallow. Nebraskans wld think Elkhorn width but only Platte depth: pic.twitter.com/52nprdO8BR

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Words that suggest a different kind of safety briefing: "If u hear gunfire, & your flotation device deflates…" pic.twitter.com/rCEBBArZWW

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Even in-processing of detainees is becoming increasingly hi-tech: pic.twitter.com/1OCoPWVLhs

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Agent Garza: "We dont usually do food in short-term detention. But did burritos in 3microwaves here 24/7 last summer" pic.twitter.com/E7w97oKK0t

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Human life wasn't created to be lived @ industrial scale for kids. Here's a telecom bank for your one phone call: pic.twitter.com/L6oz0V7Q3N

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Entering a detention facility that processed Unaccompanied Minors last summer. Max capacity:300. In July:1200 in here pic.twitter.com/CJUwfu2517

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Asked Agent Moreno re: working here in summer. Bridge built in '82. Can't operate A/C in all bays b/c circuits blow. pic.twitter.com/GWoURyxVCr

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Hidalgo: biggest of 3 bridges betw 130k McAllen &700k Reynosa. 7k cars+6k pedestrians /day. 13 lanes to search bays pic.twitter.com/NogNfuc1Aw

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Communicating sightings to white&green BPatrol SUVs below: pic.twitter.com/nwh1PiNUvC

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Communicating sightings to white&green BPatrol SUVs below: pic.twitter.com/nwh1PiNUvC

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

In the trees (Mexican side) are 5 guys+1 raft. They pulled back when saw our helicopter. Our pilot assumes no drugs pic.twitter.com/XS4GDYjb2x

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Pieces of a very incomplete wall.Raises lots of Qs. Hard to get coherent answers on why partial wall, vs. All or None pic.twitter.com/g3rX43TWa0

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Nothing deeper than knee deep right here right now. Understatement of our pilot: "Tough for BPATROL to stop this" pic.twitter.com/yIWFs2E9ez

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Mexico on your left; Texas on the right. Quote here: "It's really the Rio Pequeno River — nothing 'Grande'" pic.twitter.com/uvk5ANZ6Gg

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

BP Agent Zaddouk loves Border Community Liaison duty, telling poor TX H.S kids:"Your probs aren't bad! Everyone on Earth wants to come here"

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Met w/ 2 dozen ranchers. 1 gave me folder of pics of dead bodies found on his&his neighbors ranch in last 2yrs. Mostly teens&20-somethngs

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

Met w/ 2 dozen ranchers. 1 gave me folder of pics of dead bodies found on his&his neighbors ranch in last 2yrs. Mostly teens&20-somethngs

— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) February 7, 2015

UPDATE: Sasse joined Fox News on Monday morning to talk about his trip.