Sen. Roger Marshall was forced to use his medical training to help and help an expatriate woman suffering from the effects of extreme heat during the lawmaker’s recent visit to the US-Mexico border region.
Video released Monday by the Kansas Republican Office shows the encounter in Brooks County, Texas – just 40 miles from the border and an area where people smugglers often drop off or pick up illegal immigrants.
“It comes in waves, but here recently we have seen an increase in drop-offs and pickups on the north side of town,” Brooks County Sheriff Captain Danny Davila says in the clip. “The criminal elements are now happening a lot more than people who really want to come to work and contribute to the family and send money back.”
The six-and-a-half-minute video titled “Doctor First” shows local law enforcement and Border Patrol agents chasing a silver car with several migrants – including one in the trunk – and chasing them.
After the car was pulled over by the authorities, several migrants were taken into custody, including a woman who appeared to be injured.
Marshall is seen giving water to the woman and questioning her about the injury to her leg.
“It’s fine,” he says before urging the woman to drink more water. Other officials expressed concern about dehydration as the woman reportedly went without water for two days.
“A young lady was clearly having heat exhaustion, and she was probably on the border of heat stroke, so when they brought her in, I was able to see her, and … her breathing was really fast, Her pulse was 140, she hadn’t drank water in two days, her knee was hurting, her hand was cut by a barbed wire fence, and I really think she probably died in an hour or two I don’t know,” Marshall, a trained OB/GYN, later told Fox News.
Marshall later said that he recognized that the woman was “in distress … semi-conscious, fading in and out.”
“This heat exhaustion is going into heat stroke, and once heat stroke starts, it’s almost irreversible,” he said.
Marshall credits Border Patrol agents, who said they deal with similar situations every day, calling them “true heroes”.
“Those poor officers are expected to be nurses, social workers, psychologists and at the same time they have to keep themselves safe and keep America safe. I was able to do my small part, but they are the true heroes, not me,” he said.
The senator then blasted the “volatile humanitarian crisis” along the southern border, blaming President Biden and “his policies” for fueling it.
“By the time they show up, they have dysentery, they’re dehydrated, they have wounds, infections, many of them have been sexually abused, all those things you can imagine, and then many people along the way from heatstroke.” They’re dying in, from dehydration and then dying more and more, they’re coming across the river,” Marshall told Fox News.
“This is a continuing humanitarian crisis, this is a humanitarian tragedy created by Joe Biden and his policies,” he continued. “He wants this crisis. Either he is the most incompetent person in the world, or he wants this crisis – he wants to remake America.”
The Biden administration has faced increasing criticism over the increasing number of border crossings with Mexico since taking office last year. While the number of border encounters fell last fall, they hit a record high this spring – reaching 234,088 in April.
While some of the increase has been attributed to Ukrainian and Russian immigrants fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, border and administration officials have been warning of an increase for months – especially in light of an effort to lift Title 42.
The administration earlier this month attempted to overturn a Trump-era health order that has allowed border officials to quickly evacuate migrants without hearing asylum claims.
A federal judge in Louisiana blocked the move on May 20, upholding the policy. Despite this, some border towns still saw an increase in the number of migrants.
