Rise in Threats to Public Safety a “Direct Consequence” of Failed Border Policies: Law Enforcement Officials Testify on Threats from Border Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, led by Chairman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY), held a hearing to examine threats posed by the Biden-Harris administration's open-borders, anti-enforcement policies to law enforcement across the nation.

Witness testimony was provided by Jonathan F. Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriffs' Association; Patrick J. Ryder, commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department in New York; Michael L. Chapman, sheriff of Loudoun County, Virginia, who testified on behalf of the Major County Sheriffs of America; and David Bier, director of immigration studies at the CATO Institute.

In the hearing, witnesses detailed the public safety crisis facing their communities due to the Biden-Harris administration's refusal to enforce long-standing immigration laws, including the growing threats from gangs like Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13 that have taken advantage of this lawlessness to expand their operations in our country. The witnesses emphasized the need for secure borders to help them protect their communities.

In his opening statement, Thompson alerted Members to the threat Tren de Aragua poses to communities across the United States:

"This gang has become a severe public safety threat to the U.S. communities and its rise is a direct consequence-a direct consequence-of border policies that have failed this country. The danger posed by TdA coupled with the challenges of an open border should prompt immediate action from both Congress, this administration, and the next administration to protect our nation's law enforcement officers and the people of this country. TdA has metastasized to the criminal element in this country. It is the leading and most dangerous criminal element we face, no doubt about it."

Sheriff Chapman also detailed threats violent gangs pose to the county he serves in:

"The scope of crime and violence related to undocumented criminal aliens cannot be overstated. In Loudoun County, one of the safest localities in the entire United States, we have seen an increase in unprecedented violence in recent years. Of our last five homicides, three were committed by suspects in this county illegally, two of which were by a self-proclaimed MS-13 gang member. Just last week, a previously affiliated MS-13 gang member opened fire on another vehicle resulting from a simple road rage incident."

In his opening line questioning, Subcommittee Chairman D'Esposito asked Sheriff Chapman about how federal partners work with counties, especially amid the mass influx of illegal aliens over the past four years:

"Can you tell me how federal partners including ICE, ATF, and the DEA could better support counties like yours in the face of the influx of migrant crime?"

Sheriff Chapman answered:

"If you look at the surrounding counties that are in northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. area, most of them are sanctuary counties. We are not. We work very closely with ICE. We make sure that anytime we arrest somebody, we run them through the system and if the system comes back and they're of interest to ICE, ICE gets involved right away and they determine whether or not they want to pick somebody up or not. So regardless of whether a detainer is filed or not, we notify them.

"I think the key here is to make sure that anytime we take somebody into custody that we run them through the IAQ system, ICE lets us know, and that we go ahead, and we respond appropriately. We can't get our job done unless we're working with our counterparts, and I think it's a shame and it's really unconscionable-we're all in this together, we all should be working with each other-that some agencies choose not to do that."

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) asked Ryder to expand on the growing presence of illegal alien criminals over the past four years:

"Commissioner, I was hoping that you could… [tell] us how the growing presence of transnational criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua have impacted your department's operations?"

Ryder answered:

"We got numerous complaints of quality of life . . . and then it got worse when it got into violence with those that are joining those gangs that are now trickling into Nassau County and strengthening the gangs we took down back in 2017."

"Those attempts by law enforcement to shut them down were successful. We started to bring that down. We're seeing that uptick again because of what's coming over the border. It's a porous border. If you don't check those that are coming through, how are we going to defend ourselves against them?"

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL) questioned Thompson about the relation between sanctuary-city policies and threats to law enforcement:

"In your opinion, have sanctuary cities' policies facilitated threats to law enforcement?"

Thompson answered:

"Definitely yes."

Rep. Strong then inquired as to what the incoming administration could do to support state and local law enforcement, to which Thompson answered:

"I think it starts with the fundamental belief that we are a nation of laws and the rule of law. At the base level, we are either are, or we are not a nation of laws. Pure and simple…Coming to this country illegally… you are breaking the law…We have the technical means, we have the economic means, we must have the willpower to protect our borders, to allow immigrants to come here legally, as my Greek grandparents did."

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.