Securing our borders was the focus of a visit to the borderland from the U.S. secretary of homeland security.

Secretary Janet Napolitano arrived in El Paso to inspect border security and held a press conference at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday.

As part of the secretary's brief trip, she also met with local and state officials and other stakeholders.

Part of Napolitano's discussions centered around ongoing efforts to secure the border, while at the same time allowing for legal travel and trade.

Napolitano arrived in El Paso after visiting San Diego as part of an effort to asses the southwest border.

"We are committed to making sure this sector and the rest of the southwest border are not just secure, but that they operate efficiently and effectively for all. Then, legitimate travel and trade that needs to go back and forth," Napolitano said.

Napolitano said in the past four years, the department made substantial efforts and investments in border security and it appears to have paid off.

Napolitano cited the Pew Research Center's most recent data, which found since 2007 there are 8 percent fewer illegal immigrants living in the United States.

In the past fiscal year there have been 50 percent less attempts to illegally cross the border since 2008 and a 75 percent decrease since the all-time high in 2000.

Napolitano said in 1996, the El Paso sector saw 140,000 apprehensions, and the number for last year was a 93 percent reduction.

"In the past four years, we've seized 71 percent more currency, 39 percent more narcotic and 189 percent more weapons," Napolitano said.

But despite increased success in apprehensions and seizures, Napolitano said it is crucial to reform immigration because border security and immigration go hand in hand.

"I think we all recognize that our immigration system as a whole is badly in need of reform," Napolitano said.

Napolitano said immigration reform would invest in ports of entry and would encourage immigrants to pursue a pathway to citizenship without breaking the law, thus reducing the number of people trying to sneak over the border.

She refuted the idea immigration reform must wait until borders are secured.

"That argument not only ignores the unprecedented gains we've made in border security, it suffers from a fundamental flaw. The flaw is that it somehow says what we do with border security is somehow unrelated to what we do with interior enforcements," she said.

That includes cracking down on employers who are hiring illegal immigrants.

Despite the successes in securing the border, some continue to insist that the borders are dangerous.

Recently, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot spoke on gun control, saying that Texans living along the border need guns to protect themselves.

"Sometimes there is a difference between perception and reality, and I think now perception is beginning to catch up with reality. The plain fact of the matter is the numbers are the numbers, the investment is the investment, and the commitment is a huge commitment to this southwest border," Napolitano said.

Despite the political rhetoric, the facts remain and Napolitano said that the Department of Homeland Security will continue to push those numbers to the spotlight.

"We are going to continue to educate, lay out the facts and bring people to the border and decision makers to the border so they can see for themselves," Napolitano said.

In addition, Napolitano called for improving the legal border-crossing system and the significant trade between the U.S. and Mexico.

"We need to streamline and really make the 21st century ready for the legal migration system," she said. "We want to make sure that the immigration system we have in this country is the best immigration system in the world bar none."

Napolitano congratulated Mayor John Cook on El Paso receiving the safest city award for the third year in a row.

"When someone tells me the border is unsafe, I say, 'What about El Paso?'" Napolitano said.

The secretary also highlighted the success with new technology, including unmanned drones.

Congressman Beto O’Rourke released the following statement regarding Napolitano’s visit:

“El Pasoans welcome Secretary Napolitano to our community to review the extraordinary steps that have been taken to secure the border. It is fitting that the Secretary’s visit coincides with El Paso being named the safest big city in the United States for the third consecutive year. The fact is, the border has never been more secure- whether measured in the $18 billion spent annually on border security, the 22,000 boots on the ground, the record number of criminal deportations in the past four years, or the record-low immigrant apprehensions this past year.

“I agree with the Secretary and President Obama that we cannot allow comprehensive immigration reform to be derailed by those that refuse to see the reality of the border. We need to take action now to align our immigration laws with our values. I look forward to working with Secretary Napolitano in that endeavor.”