U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said in an interview Sunday that not knowing who is crossing the southern border illegally or for what purpose is a “national security threat.” Stated.
In a CBS interview aired on Face the Nation, Owens said 1 million immigrants have been apprehended between U.S. and Mexican ports of entry through fiscal year 2024. The agency also said it plans to arrest 2 million immigrants by the end of the year. Owens said the fiscal year ends in September.
“That’s a big number, but what keeps me up at night is that there are 140,000 known vacations,” Owens said.
Known fugitives are immigrants who enter the United States illegally, triggering sensors or being seen on camera, but are not detained by officials.
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On Thursday, March 21, 2024, a group of more than 100 immigrants storms the border wall trying to enter the United States illegally. In the process, the migrants mow down the Texas National Guard before being stopped by the border wall. (James Breeden, New York Post/Mega)
Owens said there are questions that keep her up at night, including why migrants risk their lives and cross areas that officials cannot access. What immigrants must hide. What they bring to the table. What are the immigrants’ intentions? and where did they come from?
“To us, these things represent a threat to our community,” he said, adding that they add up to a national threat. “Border security is an important part of national security.”
Owens went on to say that it is a threat if officials do not know who is coming into the United States and why. Adding to that threat, illegal immigrants are “exploiting vulnerabilities that now exist at the border.”
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President Biden visits the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, on February 29 and walks with U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Owens acknowledged that the vast majority of immigrants entering the United States at the southern border are “good people” who turn themselves in.
“We hope they choose the right way to enter our country and don’t get a false start by breaking our laws,” Owens said.
Most are “good people,” Owens said, but there are also “a very small number” of criminals, such as gang members and sex offenders, who enter the country illegally.
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Migrants are being stopped by a fence near the US southern border. (James Breeden, New York Post/Mega)
But Owens said many are just trying to escape harsh conditions back home.
“They’re either coming in fleeing terrible situations or they’re economic immigrants looking for a better life,” Owens said.
Last Thursday, Mr. Owens suggested in an interview with CBS that he would impose prison terms or harsher penalties to deter people from illegally entering the United States from Mexico.
The remarks came as a large number of illegal immigrants were caught on video rushing through razor wire and toward the border wall in El Paso, Texas.
“I’m talking about a prison sentence. I’m talking about deportation, a ban on returning home because you chose to enter the country illegally rather than through established legal channels. We’re talking about things that we’ve set up for you,” Owens said.
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An aerial view of migrants attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. (Lokman Vral Elibor/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Owens added: “I think we need to review refugee law to ensure that only people with a legitimate claim can apply for asylum.”
The Supreme Court last week temporarily allowed enforcement of a Texas anti-illegal immigration law that allows police to arrest illegal immigrants, despite a legal challenge from the Biden administration. The case was sent back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which again blocked the law several hours later as arguments proceeded on the merits.
The Biden administration claims the law violates the federal government’s responsibility for immigration enforcement.
“SB 4 will not only make Texas communities less safe, it will also burden law enforcement and create confusion and confusion at our southern border. “This is just another example of politicizing the border while blocking policy,” Secretary of State Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement this week, the White House press office said.
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But Owens told CBS News on Thursday that the law “doesn’t interfere with our mission” and that “there is no better partner for the Border Patrol than the Texas Department of Public Safety.”
“We’ve been working with that agency for as long as I’ve been there, and I don’t think that’s going to stop,” he added. “They’ve always been very good at complementing our mission. They support us when we’re out in the field and we do it for them. So they Our mission is important, no matter what laws we try to implement.” Their mission remains the same. ”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
