by Molly K. Hooper - 08/24/15 11:12 AM EDT

A Democratic lawmaker from Texas says Mexico's efforts to secure its southern border have helped cut in half the flood of immigrants passing through the country to enter the U.S. illegally.

Rep. Henry Cuellar tells The Hill's Molly K. Hooper that the U.S. gave Mexico nearly $80 million "in equipment and other things so they can secure the southern border with Guatemala."

"We always talk about U.S.'s southern border with Mexico. But it’s more than that. We play defense not on the one-yard line called the U.S border, but also the one down in Guatemala,” he said.

“In many ways, Mexico is helping us keep the numbers to at least half of what they were last year," added Cuellar, who criticized President Obama for not visiting the U.S. border last year during the deluge of immigrants.

http://thehill.com/video/in-the-news...rts-paying-off