Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott blew the whistle on the Daily Caller News Foundation about the Biden-Harris administration's alleged efforts to hide the immigration crisis from the public. This came just days after the department head made a similar claim.
Aaron Heitke Former police sergeant For the Border Patrol San Diego District, testified before A House committee on September 18th said the White House suppressed information about special interest alien (SIA) arrests, moved large numbers of illegal immigrants out of the reach of the media, and revealed the true level of national security. He also claimed that he ordered his staff to provide other instructions to cover up the incident. Border crisis. Scott, who led the Border Patrol from roughly the last year of the Trump administration to the first seven months of the Biden administration, told DCNF he received similar orders. (Related: Biden reportedly plans to make tougher border asylum restrictions more permanent)
“Literally within minutes of the Biden administration taking office, a gag order was literally put in place,” Scott told DCNF.
“When the chief of staff at Customs and Border Protection arrived, one of her first orders was that we would not speak to the public, issue a press release, unless the White House released our statement. Scott continued. “Not only were they not cleared, they weren't even accurate, even though they ultimately gave us a point. They weren't true.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 23: Former Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol and former Director of the U.S. Border Patrol speaks during the House Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement at the U.S. Capitol on May 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. A certain Mr. Rodney Scott testifies. The committee heard testimony on the topic “Biden Border Crisis: Part III.'' (Photo by Wynn McNamee/Getty Images)
Scott's tenure as Border Patrol leader coincided with Vice President Kamala Harris' mission to address the root causes of illegal immigration from Central America. The retired chief admitted to the DCNF that he has never spoken to Harris since he was designated “border czar.”
Scott, who has worked for the Border Patrol since the early 1990s, has gone through multiple changes within the administration. The longtime police officer said while it's not new for higher-ups to clamp down on communications with the public, he's never experienced the level of control inherited from the Biden-Harris administration.
“No press conferences were authorized and all border tours were closed,” Scott said. “It was unprecedented. I've never seen such a strict gag order.”
Scott's comments to DCNF follow testimony from Heitke, the former chief agent in the San Diego division, who said the number of SIAs (immigrants who may pose a national security risk to the United States) who cross the border illegally said he was prohibited from speaking about the increase.
“Prior to this administration, the San Diego division averaged 10 to 15 SIAs a year,” Heitke told the House Lands Committee. “As word spreads that crossing the border is much easier, San Diego visited over 100 SIAs in 2022, 100 SIAs in 2023, and even more this year. ” (Related article: Nearly 100 terrorist suspects reportedly released to the US under Biden administration)
“These are just the ones we caught. At the time, I was told that I could not release any information regarding this SIA increase, nor could I mention any arrests,” he continued. “The administration was trying to convince the public that there was no threat at the border.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (center) with San Diego Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott (left) at Border Field State Park along the U.S.-Mexico border fence in San Ysidro, California. Tour the area. November 20, 2018. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker/AFP)
Heitke also detailed steps the Biden-Harris administration would take to hide the mass immigration from reporters, accusing the White House of painting a “fiction” about the nation.
“When we asked for help to deal with new problems, they didn't listen,” Heitke said. “In San Diego, there was once more than 2,000 foreigners sitting between the fences asking them to turn themselves in. I was told to move them out of sight of the media.”
This is not the first time officials have accused the Biden-Harris administration of deliberately trying to hide the scale of the border crisis from the media. Ahead of Harris' first visit to the border in El Paso, Texas, in 2021, administration officials cleared migrant areas to put on a “show” for the vice president, according to a Border Patrol official who spoke to the agency. He reportedly gave clear instructions to do so. to the New York Post.
Although illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border has steadily declined in recent months due to an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in June, the administration has He oversaw a huge wave of immigration. List of presidential orders It largely dismantled the Trump administration's border agenda.
Since the Biden-Harris administration took office, Border Patrol has encountered more than 7 million immigrants entering the United States illegally. According to Latest data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Massive waves of illegal immigration are crippling major sanctuary cities such as New York City and Chicago, as well as small towns in the nation's heartland such as Springfield, Ohio.
Scott praised his former colleagues for speaking out, noting that doing so would jeopardize their ability to earn an income. Many former Border Patrol agents believe that companies and other private contractors working with the federal government want to avoid the public attention that can come with working with or hiring whistleblowers. Because of this, many retired employees are not speaking out.
“I think it's very troubling that the administration is trying to hide so much relevant information from the public,” Scott said. “I'm very grateful that Chief Heitke decided to stand up and share that information with the public, because it would really hurt his ability to get contract work in the future.”
“[Heitke is] “Not only is he taking a risk, he is deliberately reducing his family's income by standing up for what is right,” he continued.
The Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not respond to requests for comment from DCNF.
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