Texas Border Sheriffs: There is No Crisis and We Don't Want Trump's Wall
Despite Trumps attempt to paint the Texas-Mexico border as a war zone, border counties are safer than the presidents own backyard. And local lawmen dont believe a wall will do any good.
Kate Groetzinger Thu, Jan 24, 2019
President Trump visited McAllen earlier this month to drum up support for spending $5.7 billion to build more border wall segments on the U.S.-Mexico border. He staged a press conference surrounded by piles of confiscated drugs, guns and cash, describing the situation at the border as a national emergency. With the government partially shut down over Trumps funding dispute with Congress, the president is trying to prove that theres a new, growing crisis on the border to pressure Democrats to cave. But law enforcement leaders in at least two border counties, including the sheriff who patrols McAllen, say the picture Trump is painting of the Texas borderlands is inaccurate.
Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. Eddie Guerra, who is in charge of policing the largest and most populous county in the Rio Grande Valley, said that crime rates in his county are at record lows, and that illegal immigration has very little effect on the safety of residents. Meanwhile, Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, who is responsible for policing the largest county in Texas, said he doesnt support the construction of a wall along any part of the 192-mile stretch of border in Brewster County, which includes Big Bend National Park.
Because were on the border, the perception is that theres murders every day and theres shootings every day. Yet here in our county, we dont have that going on. Its very, very safe, Guerra told the Observer.
Ironically, with the government shut down over Trumps border wall beef with Congress, at least 200 Border Patrol agents have been furloughed in the RGV, where Guerra says they are desperately needed. Nationwide, more than 54,000 CBP employees are working without pay.
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-sheriffs-there-is-no-crisis-and-we-dont-want-trumps-wall/