Washington DC – As National Police Week draws to a close, the House Homeland Security Committee would like to thank all law enforcement agencies who generously shared their time, expertise and first-hand experience with their members and staff. . In addition to the activities below, Homeland Security Republicans appreciate the numerous briefings and field visits with law enforcement personnel. Our homeland is safer because of their courage and dedication to public service.
From briefings and testimony, this committee was able to help draft and pass legislation in the House. Border Security Act 2023This is targeted legislation that includes provisions to address crises between ports of entry on the Southwestern Border and provide resources to frontline law enforcement agencies.
See below for highlights of the Commission’s work with law enforcement.
February, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Dr. Mark E. Green (Republican, Tennessee) Lead the Commission members to the southwestern border of El PasoIn Texas, we witnessed the escalating border crisis first-hand and heard first-hand from law enforcement on the ground. drug smuggling From human trafficking to the experience of attempts by criminal cartels, Overwhelm law enforcement at a port of entryLocal border agents shared details of the critical work they do day and night to protect our communities.
As members recalled during their visits, our Border Patrol agents are forced to assume roles and responsibilities for which they are not responsible and legally trained. Still trapped in the midst of this impossible situation. what the executor should do. Behind every encounter count is the heartbeat of border agents as well as immigrants.
“There has been a 377% increase in traffic stoppages related to smuggling and human trafficking in the past two years.” – Sheriff Mark Lamb
After Border Boot Camp, Chairman Green COMMITTEE-WIDE HEARINGS We can hear the voices of law enforcement and ordinary Americans affected by the pervasive and debilitating effects of President Biden’s border crisis.
At the hearing, Sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, 82 miles from the border, shared his first-hand experience with cartel trafficking and drug trafficking, and how foreigners can help avoid arrest at the Southwest border. He told the committee how it worked, which led to the record. Number of “get away”. He described the life-saving humanitarian work law enforcement is doing to help immigrants facing dangerous situations and violent criminal cartels, and touched on the importance of Operation Stone Garden. .
“Administration policy is tying the hands of the real CBP, Border Patrol, FBI, and DEA. They are tying their hands.” – Texas Sheriff
The commander of the local drug trafficking hotspots program, which focuses on combating drug smuggling and trafficking, said South Texas is in a precarious position because drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, and large amounts of fentanyl are smuggled across the Southwest border. shared that they are facing an increase in overdose. – Tablets with strings. A South Texas sheriff also elaborated on the epidemic, revealing that he opened his own morgue because of a rise in overdose deaths from drugs smuggled across ports of entry. Another South Texas sheriff said the number of immigrant deaths found on American property has risen amid cartel atrocities.
Following the roundtable discussion, President Green led the following meetings: Commission-wide Field Hearing In Far, Texas, members heard first-hand testimony from U.S. Border Patrol Director Raul Ortiz, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Colonel Stephen McCraw, Kinney County, Texas Sheriff Brad Coe, and Deputy Commissioner of the National Border Patrol. City Councilman Chris Cabrera.
The members were told by Chief Ortiz that five of the nine border regions in the southwest are unsafe, that border guards are also facing a “policy crisis” due to lack of enforcement policies, and that operational control cannot be achieved. We have heard that more support and resources are needed. . Colonel McCraw even testified that criminal cartels, not this administration, control much of the southwestern border, creating a humanitarian crisis. From the eyewitness testimony provided, it is enough that law enforcement agencies on the front lines of this crisis, from our southwestern border to our northern and maritime borders, need additional help to accomplish their missions. is clear to
Later that month, members of the Oversight, Investigation, and Accountability Subcommittee, led by Chairman Dan Bishop (Republican, North Carolina), said: held a public hearing To investigate the worsening crisis on the northern border, they heard testimony from National Border Security Council Chairman Brandon Judd, who has 25 years of experience as a border guard, and other members.
At a time when the number of encounters with illegal aliens has increased by more than 700 percent year-on-year in the northern border area, his testimony shows that the U.S.-Canada border diverted much-needed resources to the Southwestern border crisis. It detailed the devastating blow to safety. , the surrounding communities, and Northern Border Patrol personnel. These operatives and communities continue to pay the price for the Biden administration’s reckless open border policy and refusal to enforce our law.
May 16, 2023: Police Week hearings highlight challenges facing law enforcement and communities across the country amid rising crime
“Over the past decade, the impact of crime has diminished and certain tools used by law enforcement to keep communities safe have been removed. The safety of compliant residents is at risk.” – Sheriff Don Burns
This week, the Subcommittee on Counter-Terrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, led by Chairman August Pfluger (R, Texas), and the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, led by Chairman Anthony Desposito (R, NY). teeth, Held a joint public hearing Explore the state of U.S. law enforcement and how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working with states and local governments across the country to combat crime and terrorism and prepare for disaster response.
Witnesses also included Odessa, Texas Police Chief Michael Garke, Orange County, California Sheriff Don Burns, and Boston, Massachusetts, Police Commissioner Michael Cox. During the hearings, lawmakers were told by law enforcement that the porous Southwest border, police verbal and violent measures, crime mitigation policies, and local policing hurdles are among the things they face every day amid rising crime in cities across the country. I asked him directly about the issues he was facing. and information sharing.
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