Houston Daily

Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz of Texas' 15th District has sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging continued efforts to ensure that the Mexican government fulfills its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. The request follows the conclusion of the most recent five-year water cycle.

In her letter, De La Cruz acknowledged the administration's support for South Texas agriculture, stating, "Our community is thankful for the focus you have on helping South Texas farmers. The level of care and consistency in your outreach has never been felt previous to this Administration."

She expressed concern about insufficient water deliveries from Mexico, attributing partial compliance to pressure from U.S. officials. "While we have seen a feeble attempt to deliver water by the Mexican government this year, it is only due to the pressure they have faced from our strong President and his Administration. The President’s threat of withholding water from the Colorado River motivated the Mexican government to do the bare minimum," she wrote.

De La Cruz noted that nearly one million acre-feet of water are still owed by Mexico and warned about potential consequences if drought declarations delay further deliveries: "If our farmers do not get consistent water deliveries over the next 6 months, we are at risk of losing our citrus industry, after recently having lost our only sugar mill in Texas."

She called on Secretary Rollins to "Pressure the Mexican government to deliver another 350,000 acre-feet of water in the next 6 months" and requested that "the 1944 Water Treaty" be included in USMCA negotiations.

De La Cruz concluded her letter by thanking Secretary Rollins for her work supporting South Texas farmers and expressing a desire for continued collaboration.

Monica De La Cruz began representing Texas’ 15th district in Congress in 2023 after succeeding Vicente Gonzalez. She secured election victories against Michelle Vallejo in both 2022 and 2024 general elections.