U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo urges Congressional action on immigration during Dallas stop

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke about the challenges of immigrants headed toward the U.S.-Mexico border and international tensions in various spots around the globe in Dallas on Monday.

Pompeo said during an interview session with reporters he is having conversations with his counterparts about the migration of thousands trying to get to the U.S. from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

“We're working with each of the northern triangle countries to implore them to use their capacity to demonstrate the will to stop these people from making this trek,” Pompeo said. “We're communicating with the people in those countries too, telling them that coming to the United States is not the right answer.”

Pompeo said he’d also like to see action on the issue in Congress.

“You know the challenges of drugs crossing the border, you know the challenges of human trafficking, crossing our border, this is truly a crisis. We need Congress to act,” he said.

Pompeo wrapped a four-day trip to South America on Sunday. Countries like Peru and Colombia under siege for people fleeing on-the-brink Venezuela. Through sanctions, the U.S. Is trying to push that country's president, Nicolas Maduro, out of office.

“These people are suffering tremendously. They are literally, they’re coming across the border to try and work a job, buy some diapers and some food for their babies so they can eat every other day,” he said. “This is the Maduro regime's legacy and it needs to end.”

While in Dallas, Pompeo privately met with Iranian-Americans from across the country. The U.S. has designated Iran's elite Republican Guard as a terrorist organization, marking the first time another country’s military has been labeled a terrorist group.

“Today is the day that the IRGC designation comes into effect and it was a day I wanted to be with them to hear their views of how our policies affecting lives of people inside of Iran and how our policy is leading to what we hope -- which is a change in the nature and the behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran and their leadership,” Pompeo said.

Pompeo later visited with Corps of Cadets members at Texas A&M’s campus in College Station.