Border Patrol agents have criticized recent changes to their role under the Biden-Harris administration, accusing it of transforming into a “migrant concierge service,” the New York Post reported Friday.
Zachary Apotheker, who joined the police force in 2020, expressed frustration that his job under the Biden administration has shifted from cracking down on drug traffickers and arresting people entering the country illegally to helping migrants get into the country. Interview Apotheker highlighted concerns about security and screening under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that more than 8 million migrants have crossed the southern border since January 2021, including members of the Venezuelan prison gang “Tren de Aragua.”
“I don't want to bring people into the country. That's not what I signed up for,” Apotheker told The New York Times. His anguish has intensified as more than 1.7 million undocumented immigrants have evaded arrest since January 2021. He recounted his encounters with victims of immigrant crimes, naming individuals and highlighting his own personal toll.
Border Patrol agent talks about job under Harris-Biden administration: 'It's not the job I was meant to do' https://t.co/ELqWSRIKLu pic.twitter.com/HAKH2ZEuzT
— New York Post (@nypost) September 13, 2024
“I'm an apolitical person and I just want to do my job and protect this country,” the official said, according to the New York Post. “I have to draw the line when I see people from other countries coming here with more resources than American citizens have, and then they go out and commit crimes and we haven't gotten rid of them yet and American citizens are getting killed and women are getting raped.” (RELATED: Exclusive: Venezuelan gang member accused of kidnapping and strangling Florida man was in the U.S. illegally)
Apotheker and multiple Border Patrol sources expressed concern to the New York Post about inadequate documentation for unaccompanied migrant children under the age of 14, particularly missing biometric data, that makes it difficult for them to safely relocate to family or sponsors in the U.S. He highlighted delays in the immigration system, noting that 291,000 migrant children have been released in the U.S. without a court date and another 32,000 have not shown up for scheduled hearings.
The border patrol officer said he was prepared to risk his career to draw attention to what he sees as serious mismanagement and potential danger in current border policy. “No matter how bad you think it is now, it's only going to get worse,” he warned.
The White House and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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