Texas border sheriff sends fiery message to Mayorkas: Let Border Patrol do its job
Kinney County, Texas Sheriff Brad Coe thanked Gov. Greg Abbott on "America's Newsroom" Friday for helping mitigate the border crisis.
Coe said he has received no help from the federal government even as his deputies and the community faced increased risk last year.
"I've got six full-time deputies. Those guys were involved in over 260 high-speed pursuits," he told hosts Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer.
Coe said they were able to catch 90% of the suspects but said he's concerned about the safety of children because a school sits on the main corridor through town.
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In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faulted Congress for failing to appropriate substantive resources to his department, while appearing to reject the validity of Republicans' forthcoming impeachment proceedings against him.
"We are enforcing the laws that Congress has passed," he said in part.
He added President Biden has asked Congress for supplemental funding to increase the number of CBP agents and new technology to no avail, repeating the legislature's role in passing laws for his office to enforce.
"… until they fix those broken laws that haven't been reformed in more than 30 years," he said.
Coe responded that Mayorkas is preventing Border Patrol from working at full capacity. He expressed confidence in Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, but said agents are not allowed to enforce immigration law.
"I've known Chief Owens for a while. He's got the knowledge. He's got the capability. They won't let him do his job," said Coe.
"Border Patrol has the authority to prosecute them for illegal entry, and could file expedited removals on these people that are coming across illegally. We did it before when I was with the Border Patrol and it worked."
Coe said there will be an even bigger surge of illegal immigration for Texas to deal with later this year if former President Trump wins the presidential election. He explained that migrants will flock to the border before the inauguration.
"I guarantee you, from the election to the time of his inauguration, we will see a human tsunami coming across that border," he said.
When asked about 300,000 reported migrant encounters in December 2022 alone, Mayorkas said DHS is limited in its detention capacity, subject to congressional funding.
The secretary, however, added there has been a "historic number" of removals during his tenure.
Asked later about Customs & Border Protection sources telling Fox News they are releasing nearly three-quarters of migrants who cross daily, Mayorkas said he is not surprised, and that those who are released are placed in enforcement proceedings and alternatives to detention.
"We are enforcing the laws that Congress has passed," he said in part.
Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report.