The sheriff of a county about 2,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border says the migrant crisis is wreaking havoc on his community and is pleading with Congress to step up enforcement.
Loudoun County, Virginia, Sheriff Mike Chapman is scheduled to address the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, detailing the toll of the border crisis in his jurisdiction. Violence has soared to “unprecedented” levels in recent years, with people living in the country illegally and affiliated with international criminal organizations, according to testimony he is scheduled to give before the committee and first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. It is said that it is being done. (Related article: Laken Riley illegal immigrant killer demands new trial)
“Loudoun County, one of the safest communities in all of the United States, has experienced an unprecedented increase in violence in recent years,” Chapman will say in prepared testimony. “Of the last five murders, three were committed by suspects who were in this country illegally, and two of those were by self-proclaimed MS-13 gang members.”
“Just this week, members of a former MS-13 gang fired into another vehicle as a result of a simple 'street assault' incident,” the sheriff continued.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 31: U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks with the Loudoun County, Virginia, Sheriff at a roundtable on the southern border of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. Greetings to Officer Michael Chapman. . Members of the House Republican Conference held a roundtable to discuss border security legislation and immigration. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In this call, which contrasts with many sanctuary city leaders across the country, Chapman called on “all law enforcement agencies” to work together to fight crime, including with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I am calling on you to do so. He argues that it is essential that local law enforcement receive the necessary resources from federal partners to keep the community safe.
“Starting at the border, we must continue building walls, denying illegal immigration, improving technology, and encouraging 'Remain in Mexico' policies,” the sheriff said Tuesday. “If an ‘all hands on deck’ approach is not aggressively promoted, these problems will continue to migrate to our most populated areas, our once beautiful but now unsafe cities.”
“As law enforcement agencies, we have a duty and responsibility to work together to protect the public and keep them safe, and Congress has a duty to support these efforts,” he continued.
Chapman also represents major county sheriffs in americathe nation's largest association of sheriff's offices, collectively serving more than one-third of the population.
The United States has experienced a worsening border crisis under the Biden-Harris administration, with fiscal years 2023 and 2024 being the worst years for migrant encounters in the country's history. Approximately 8.5 million migrants were encountered along the southern border during the Biden administration's four fiscal years.
By contrast, President-elect Donald Trump has launched an immigration enforcement effort that includes the largest deportation program in U.S. history, a return to the Remain in Mexico program, continued construction of a border wall, and numerous other hawkish policies. He has promised to take a tough stance and strengthen his stance immediately.
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