U.S. Sen. Katie Britt joined two of her colleagues Tuesday at the U.S.-Mexico border for what she called a “gut-wrenching” experience.

Britt (R-Montgomery), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)  arrived in the Del Rio Sector Monday evening and immediately attended an operational briefing with leaders from the National Border Patrol Council and officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety. They then went on a nighttime visit to trafficking hot spots along the border, including an area along the banks of the Rio Grande.

“What we witnessed these past 24 hours was gut-wrenching,” Britt said Tuesday night. “The raw numbers alone tell us that there is an unprecedented national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border.

“However, seeing it up close was truly eye-opening, underlining the historic magnitude of the problem and giving faces to the very real human cost of the reckless policies that have caused this disaster.”

On Tuesday morning, the group witnessed migrants crossing the Rio Grande and saw another group of migrants that was about to attempt crossing the river. This latter group included several children and a pregnant woman.

“This trip was an important opportunity for me to listen to and learn from the people who are facing this every single day, from boots-on-the-ground law enforcement officers to courageous survivors of the cartels’ human and drug trafficking,” Britt said. “Now, my team and I will be hard at work formulating and advancing tangible solutions that will help seal and secure the border and defend America’s future.”

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.