Leaders at the southern border told Fox News Digital that despite rumors of a sudden influx, the number of illegal immigrants is declining and that communities are on the rise ahead of President-elect Trump’s second inauguration this month. He said he is starting to regain a sense of “normality.”
Sheriff Brad Coe of Kinney County, Texas, whose area lies between Eagle Pass and Del Rio, told Fox News Digital that “the pendulum has swung out of complete chaos and back to a place where it’s more peaceful and everyone is a little more relaxed.” I’ve come,” he said.
Illegal border crossings in Coe’s region have skyrocketed under the Biden administration, reaching 480,000 by 2022. The city of Eagle Pass, with a population of just about 28,000, has become the center of a legal battle between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and federal authorities. The state attempted to crack down on border crossings at record levels.
Border czar Tom Homan visits Eagle Pass, Texas: ‘Mass deportations’ will occur
Migrants wait for processing at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center in Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 20, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Coe said county residents will have to deal with huge economic losses and a constant sense of crisis and uncertainty under the Biden administration’s lax border policies. He also said the county has seen a dramatic increase in dangerous pursuits by law enforcement.
“Law enforcement officers may have 10 or 15 good jobs over a 25 or 30 year career. [In] “In 2023, one of my MPs was involved in 54 traces in one year,” he said, adding, “In the same year, we had 255 traces. So one or two in a year. We went from tracking 250 times a year to…yes, it was a complete mess.”
But now, with Trump back in power on January 20, Coe said he is “very optimistic” about the future.
Why the optimism? “This is a change in attitude by the administration, as well as a change in attitude due to the fatigue of the American people,” Coe said. [of the border crisis]. ”
Harris to oversee certification of Trump’s defeat in presidential election: ‘Sacred duty’
Former President Trump attends a conference with state officials and law enforcement before touring the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Weslaco, Texas, June 30, 2021. (Javin Botsford/Washington Post, via AP, Pool)
He believes the Trump administration will listen to border communities and allow Customs and Border Protection officials to do their jobs.
“One of the things they have to do is contact Mr. A, the border marshals, the border police chiefs, all the people in the border communities to find out what’s going on and monitor that. ” he said. “But what the federal government needs is [also] What we need to do is let Border Patrol agents and ICE agents do their jobs. Don’t lock them up and say, we’re only going to accept these people, we’re just going to deport these people, we’re going to give them all the powers that they have and let them run with it. please. ”
“The president-elect is taking a very serious stance on this,” he said, adding, “He’s got the right people in the right places to deal with this issue.” He added that the effects are already being felt in his community.
“I see it with the people in town, I see it with the legislators, the employees who work for the county, etc. It’s like, okay, we’re finally back in a place where we can really relax,” he explained. . . “You don’t have to bring your kids every time you hear a siren, you don’t have to collect your kids every time you hear a helicopter fly by. We’ve got some kind of normalcy back.”
Majority believes President Trump will ‘regulate illegal immigration’: poll
Former President Trump speaks with Governor Greg Abbott during a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 29, 2024. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Douglas Nichols, the mayor of Yuma, a town of just under 101,000 people on the Arizona-Mexico border hundreds of miles away, told Fox News Digital that the situation is returning to normal.
Like the Del Rio area, Yuma has seen a historic surge in illegal immigration under the Biden administration, with more than 310,000 people entering the country in 2022, three times the city’s population. Now, Nichols said, the number of migrants encountering the Yuma area has dropped to about 50 per day and is completely contained by the Border Patrol.
Nichols said he is optimistic that his city will receive at least the same level of support from the new administration as it received during President Trump’s first term.
“Within two weeks [of the first Trump term]the president invited me to the White House. we sat together in the oval office [Homeland Security] The secretary and the three of us talked for about 30 minutes. I left after the resource meeting, but a few weeks later the Remain in Mexico program was implemented that dramatically changed the nature of border crossers along the border,” Nichols said. In about three to five months…my situation improved,” he added. Most of my concerns have been resolved. ”
Secret drug tunnel discovered near Arizona border wall
Border Patrol agents walk along the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Yuma, Arizona, June 1, 2022 (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
“So I really expect the same level of engagement,” he explained, adding that he will be reaching out immediately to make sure Yuma is able to communicate well with the president and his staff. “I’ll try it,” he added.
“The Yuma area is a vibrant, growing community. We have great partnerships across our borders, across the country, and around the world, and our real focus is on growth opportunities and Our ability to lead our communities to the next level is to provide more opportunities for our residents and create a more robust economic environment and prosperity.”
Back in Del Rio, Police Chief Frank Ramirez told FOX News Digital, “I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
He said that while current levels of illegal immigration are “not as bad as in the past,” city police still have to deal with a significant amount of human smuggling and cartel activity. This continues to place a significant strain on both Del Rio Police Department resources and officers.
Texas lawmakers sound the alarm on Del Rio’s immigration crisis: Problem will ‘spiral out of control’
Migrants camp under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, in September. (Representative August Pflueger)
He said Del Rio police officers are honored to be the “first line of defense” in preventing further illegal immigration into the country.
“If we can get talent here that we don’t need in the rest of the state, that’s a push for a double-win. We take that very seriously here and we’re having fun doing it,” he said.
Nevertheless, because of these challenges and the fact that Del Rio is a small city that cannot match salaries in larger cities, Ramirez says his department is struggling with recruitment and retention. spoke. He said areas like his need additional federal funding to compensate police officers who have dual duty fighting regular crime and illegal immigration crime in addition to closing borders. said.
“We’re trying to deal with the city’s regular issues, and on top of that we’re also trying to deal with immigration issues, so that makes it a little bit difficult for us,” he explained. “Every day we roll the dice. Who is coming? Who is crossing over? Are they coming to our city first? And what are they looking for? They came to do something to someone. Are you taking something from someone or are they just passing by? ”
Tom Homan vows to ‘do everything in his power’ to find missing children
Del Rio, Texas Police Chief Frank Ramirez (FOX News)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“So the key thing that we really need and that we’re looking for is a grant that would give us a payroll subsidy. Something like that would really help border towns. So. “That would allow us to compete with some of the cities,” he said, “to work with larger agencies and keep some of these employees here.” .
“This town is great. It has great people. I mean it when I say this,” he continued. “So it’s very important to me that I want to keep the city safe. It’s personal.”
“Any help we can get will be welcomed by any government. We don’t know what their plans are. [we are] I’m definitely hopeful and hoping for a little more support,” he concluded with a smile.
Peter Pinedo is a political writer for Fox News Digital.
Source link
