It is one of the sacred duties of the United States government to protect American sovereignty and secure our borders. But a year into the Biden Administration it is clear that the government has no intention of protecting our borders, to the contrary, they are leaving them wide open to millions of unknown aliens. It is a crisis, and Americans will suffer for it.
I was a Sheriff of a border-state, Arizona. I served two terms as Sheriff of Graham County, just one county removed from the border itself. This was during the late-80s and mid-90s, and while there were some issues with illegal immigration, it was not at the crisis level of today. But as the Biden Administration creates an illegal immigration crisis never-before-seen by the American people, there are some things I would like the public to know about the challenges being faced by border sheriffs.
First, there is a growing concern among the nation’s sheriffs, from Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, all the way to Massachusetts and Iowa, that the security at the Southern Border is virtually non-existent. This has opened the flood gates to potential terrorists and has also given Mexican drug cartels unprecedented access and control over the border. This affects sheriffs across the country who have to deal with the downstream effects of these people being shipped into their communities. But it also has gravely endangered the lives of those living and working in these border areas. Increased local crime is an obvious consequence, but Americans would be shocked to know the extent to which Sheriffs are personally at risk. I know that cartels are going so far as to put contracts on the heads of American border sheriffs, with large bounties being promised to those successful in the murder of American law enforcement!
Many of you are familiar with my good friend, Sheriff Arpaio, who served as Sheriff of Maricopa County for two decades. He was one of the best sheriffs in America, and had a hit put out on him because he stood against illegal immigration, and he stood against the cartels. But he’s not alone.
Everyday people live in a constant state of fear from the terror of the cartels down at the border. I’ve had several conversations with my friend Sheriff Dannels who currently serves down in Cochise County, Arizona. Local farmers and ranchers are particularly affected by the criminality down at the border. Sheriff Dannels tells me they live in constant fear. They are continuously burglarized. Malicious mischief and property damage are frequent, almost a daily routine. People trying to cross have died on their property. There’s been murders on their properties…this is the reality of daily life at Biden’s border.
Sadly, the progressive media is in on this crime against the American people. When do you hear Biden’s White House taken to task by the media over the insanity at our borders? When is the President himself going to be held accountable? Likely never. In fact, the President held a press conference in January and one of the rules was that reporters were not allowed to question him on the current state of the border. President Biden and his administration deceive the public on the crisis they have created, and the media goes along with the cover-up!
The American people must also come to understand the root causes of what drives this exodus out of these countries and into our own as well. Many of you may not know this, but I graduated with a degree in Latin American studies and have travelled extensively to several Latin American countries. While the current government and liberal media complex would like you to believe that every border crosser is a refugee or child migrant, the reality is most people fleeing to this country are doing so for economic reasons.
The government should be working to resolve the root cause issues in those countries. Instead, they incentivize the illegal immigration to this country with the taxpayers’ own money. Why would anyone stay in an impoverished country if they know they can come to America and receive free benefits and the other privileges that should be reserved for American citizens? Does anyone believe that granting illegal immigrants the right to vote in New York City is a signal to stop coming here illegally? The Democrats will stop at nothing to prevent voter ID in this country because their vision is to dilute the legal voters rights and remain in power in perpetuity.
And while the failure of our own government in securing our borders is evident, Americans must understand that it is not their failure alone creating this problem. The policies of President Donald Trump were so effective because they addressed a key underlying problem for American border security: Mexico and its government. Trump’s border wall was a lightning rod for the Left because it was an effective barrier, but a wall alone cannot solve the border problem. That’s why his Remain in Mexico agreement was an essential key to success. By using leverage against the Mexican government, this Trump policy ensured those seeking illegal access to this country were held in Mexico until their cases were addressed. Biden has effectively ditched this policy, despite a court order to continue it, and the Mexican government has no incentive to stop the flood of illegal immigration now.
Why? Money.
I once had the opportunity to attend a training seminar in Tucson, where in attendance were nearly a dozen Mexican professors. Considering the billions of dollars in drug and human trafficking money at stake for Mexican cartels, and the sophistication with which they operate along the border, I felt compelled to ask these professors their view on the Mexican government’s relationship with these cartels.
What is the political influence of cartels in Mexico? Do they drive the political process there? Do they essentially run the government itself?
“100%” was the universal answer to my questions.
This reality was highlighted in October 2020, when former Mexican Defense Secretary, Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, was arrested by American authorities at LAX airport on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. The prior year, former Mexican Secretary of Public Security, Genaro Garcia Luna, was charged through the Southern District of New York on similar allegations.
Meaningful change at the border will require cooperation between governments. As we give out millions, if not billions, of dollars of aid to many of the Latin American countries we must engage with to solve this issue, we have all the cards. But our own government must be willing to do its job!
I have spent much of my life living and working in the Southwestern United States. I’ve had the learning experience of riding in the machine gun boats along the Rio Grande near McAllen, Texas, and I’ve also walked through the drug tunnels. I have walked through the human trafficking tunnels of Arizona, and I have been to ranches where poor souls being trafficked by the cartels were left out in the open to die of the elements. My experience is not unique. In fact, it is shared by Sheriffs across the border states. We have experience and we can contribute to the solutions, we just need the government to listen to us!
Beyond the wall, and other immigration policies, this was one of President Trump’s great strengths. He wanted to solve the problem, and he would meet with sheriffs with experience, and he would listen. As the midterm elections approach us, it is certain that the illegal immigration crisis in this country will be front and center. Democrats will not be part of the solution. It appears the crisis itself is their border policy. To address this crisis, we need strong leadership. The good news is, Americans have had enough. November may just bring the reckoning the political class of this country needs to be forced into action to protect our borders and to protect our country.
