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FIRST ON FOX: A border state sheriff is slamming the Biden administration over its immigration policies, accusing the government of being complicit in the human trafficking and sexual abuse of migrants as the crisis at the Mexico-U.S. border intensifies.
Former Jackson County, Texas, Sheriff A.J. Louderback told Fox News Digital in an interview that Biden has caused “chaos” at the border due to the administration’s “zero enforcement policy” and expected rollback of Title 42.
The Biden administration has announced its plan to terminate Title 42 on May 23, a public health order that has been used since March 2020 to quickly expel a majority of migrants at the border due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEW GUATEMALAN MIGRANT CARAVAN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AT SOUTHERN BORDER IN MAY WHEN TITLE 42 ENDS
“Law enforcement in all the border states have been very concerned over the loss of Title 42 and what that actually means on top of the chaos that the Biden administration has caused since January 2021. When you take away Title 42, then you’ve multiplied every problem that you created in the first place. And so law enforcement is very concerned about the Title 42 issue,” Louderback told Fox News Digital.
US President Donald Trump (L) listens to Jackson County Texas Sheriff A.J. Louderback during a meeting on border security in the Cabinet Room of the White House January 11, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
The Texas sheriff, who serves as the current president of the Texas Sheriff’s Regional Alliance and on the National Sheriffs’ Association border security committee, said it’s “horrific” that the Biden administration is a “party to” abuse and human smuggling of migrants at the border, noting that Mexican cartels are being empowered and profiting off the trafficking of increased numbers of migrants.
“This is the worst policy that we’ve ever had to endure here as American citizens. And I mean, we’ll pay a price for this. I think there’s no question about it,” Louderback told Fox News Digital, noting that Congress has laws on the books about federal immigration procedures that aren’t being followed.
“It’s horrific that our own government would human traffic into the United States and be a party to the sexual abuse. The human trafficking part of this [is] especially horrific. It’s something that the U.S. government is actually participating in that, and is a party to that. We’ve never done that before. This administration and the lawlessness that they represent is hard to believe, and yet here is happening, and it’s been going on for over a year in the United States.”
As a result, the Biden administration’s policies will only serve to “accelerate and empower the cartels more,” he continued, also noting that another migrant caravan from Guatemala is underway and plans to reach the border by May 23, when Title 42 ends.
Louderback also commented on the three bus loads of migrants that were transported to Washington, D.C., this week under the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, saying the governor is on the right track.
“I think we’re being invaded and believe that that our governor is on the right track here,” Louderback said about the buses.
Sheriff Louderback with Sen. Ted Cruz/ (Provided by Louderback for Congress campaign)
However, the sheriff continued to say that it would be more beneficial if the federal government would also step in and deport those individuals back to Mexico.
“In taking them to D.C., that I wish the government would go ahead and deport them back to Mexico. Both of those would be great moves to support the citizens of Texas and to try to stop this madness that’s going on.”
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich Wednesday that all the migrants bused to D.C. are in immigration proceedings, and it’s “nice” that Texas is helping them get to their final destinations.
“These are all migrants who have been processed by CBP and are free to travel. So it’s nice the state of Texas is helping them get to their final destination as they await and their outcome of their immigration proceedings. And they’re all in immigration proceedings.”
A third bus of migrants who crossed the U.S. border into Texas arrived in Washington, D.C., near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, April 15, 2022. (Timothy Nerozzi/Fox News Digital)
Louderback, who was unsuccessful in his recent bid for Congress, concluded by saying the “catastrophe that we’re all witnessing and feeling and embracing right now” was completely “preventable.”
He listed actions taken by the Trump administration that he deemed effective, including putting economic tariffs on the Mexican government to enforce the “Remain in Mexico” program, which was set up in 2019 to end “catch-and-release” by which migrants were released into the interior as their asylum claims were processed.
(Provided by Louderback for Congress campaign)
Tariffs may be “what it takes to stop some of the caravans and get Mexico’s attention with their policies on the cartels and the caravans and the other issues that come along with policies like this,” said Louderback.
“Unstable borders with open border policies are destructive in a lot of ways.”