A sheriff in Pinal County, Arizona said Thursday on Fox News that the crisis at the border is a “disaster” and said that the situation is only getting worse.
Sheriff Mark Lamb said that the border situation “is definitely a crisis,” and said that he wants politicians and the rest of America to understand what they’re dealing with. Migrants are crossing the border wearing camouflage, and Lamb said that they are not people attempting to seek asylum.
“They’re trying to come into this country undetected,” Lamb told Fox News host Neil Cavuto. “We have no idea what kind of criminal history that they have. What gangs they represent. Honestly, it’s a disaster for us.” (RELATED: It’s Been 15 Days Since Biden Put Kamala Harris In Charge Of The Border. She Has Yet To Make A Visit)
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Lamb said that even though we want to take care of women and children, it’s just not possible to keep taking more and more people every day. The Biden administration should go back to the Trump-era policies on illegal immigration and secure our borders, Lamb added.
Lamb said that he estimates border patrol catches about half of the people who are coming across the border illegally.
“These are staggering numbers. We cannot sustain this in our communities in these states nor can you sustain them throughout these communities. Now remember, there’s always the element of the human trafficking and drug trafficking that comes with it.”
The Biden administration has struggled to deal with a massive influx of migrants crossing the border, including unaccompanied migrants. Data from Customs and Border Patrol that was released Thursday showed that more than 172,000 migrants were encountered at the southern border in March, representing a 71% increase from February. That number includes nearly 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children, approximately 53,600 family units, and more than 99,000 single adults who were apprehended at the border.
Photos from inside temporary holding facilities showed severe overcrowding and cramped conditions as the facilities attempted to deal with an overflow of migrants. The government has been forced to fly migrants across the country or provide hotel rooms to accommodate the large number of migrants crossing the border.
Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to oversee the administration’s response to the crisis on March 24, but she has yet to make a visit. Instead, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will reportedly make a trip Thursday to visit two Texas towns along the border.