Frustrated Border Patrol authority says agents are ‘handcuffed,’ feds won’t let them
Frustrated Border Patrol authority says agents are ‘handcuffed,’ feds won’t let them do their jobs
August 25, 2016 | Frieda Powers
Immigration and border security experts blasted Congress and the administration for its failure to support border patrol agents and remedy the immigration problem in the U.S.
“What they’re doing is they’re handcuffing border patrol agents. They’re letting the illegal aliens dictate to us what our job is,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said Wednesday at an Austin, Texas, town hall event hosted by Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity.
“We have to end the catch-and-release program. You’ve got to get rid of the magic magnet that is bringing these people over here,” Judd said at the event airing on Fox News’ “Hannity.” He also asked that border patrol agents be allowed to just “do the job.”
Specifically asked about the effectiveness of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s proposed border wall, Judd said it would be a “force multiplier” and would “absolutely help us secure the border.”
Chris Crane, president of the National ICE Council, said the challenge for law enforcement of legal and illegal immigrants has been a shortage of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“We’ve got 5,000 officers in 50 states,” he said “trying to police 13 million illegal aliens, as well as the folks that are here legally.”
In comparison, Crane noted, the New York Police Department has 34,000 officers to protect their state.
He added that 40 percent of illegal aliens don’t even cross the border, but come into the country legally but overstay their visas.
Trump, who was seated with the panel in the town hall discussion, said border and immigration officials want to do the job, and his plan would empower them.
“They know the job better than anybody. You can do reports, you can hire people to do studies,” Trump said, but “these people know better than anybody what needs to be done.”
(video at source link)
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