The Texas sheriff investigating the Martha’s Vineyard flights contradicted Vice President Kamala Harris’ claim that the U.S.-Mexico border is secure during a Tuesday interview on CNN.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s comment came in response to Harris telling NBC News anchor Chuck Todd that the “border is secure” in a Sept. 11 interview. Salazar then called on members of the Biden administration to visit the border and communicate with Texas officials.
“I don’t think that the border is as secure as the folks in D.C. might believe,” Salazar said. “You know, I’ve talked to lots of my fellow sheriffs here in the state of Texas, Republican and Democrat. With regard to Texas sheriffs it’s not about red or blue with us, it’s about the gold on our badge and it’s about the knowledge that if any part of our state — in other words, our little piece of the pie, our county — is weak then the whole state is weak. So we work together really well across party lines.”
“And yeah, I think if the White House came down and got an eye on Texas and saw firsthand, which is what I’ve been asking them to do for awhile, come down here and get an eye on the problem, I would beg to differ,” he continued. “I don’t think that the border is as secure as what folk are maybe telling them. With that being said, I think there’s some solutions to be had, but it’s going to start with somebody from D.C. making the trip down here and talking to us.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that migrant apprehensions had surpassed two million since Oct. 2021, the start of the 2022 fiscal year. In FY2021, migrant apprehensions totaled what was then a record high of 1.66 million, according to ABC News.
On Monday, Salazar announced an investigation into the allegations that migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard were “lured” into boarding flights to the liberal enclave at the behest of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Salazar claimed that a Venezuelan migrant was paid to convince others to board the planes under “false pretenses.” (RELATED: ‘What Exactly Went Wrong Here?’: Reporter Presses Jean-Pierre On Biden’s Handling Of Border Crisis)
“The allegations that we’ve heard, it’s absolutely distasteful, it’s disgusting. It’s an abuse of human rights. But, I would like to find out sooner rather than later what charges if any are going to apply and to whom,” Salazar said. “I believe there’s some criminal activity involved, but at present, we’re trying to keep an open mind and we’re going to investigate to find out, to determine what laws were broken, if that does turn out to be the case.”
A source close to the situation said the migrants were asked multiple times if they wanted to board the planes and were informed of their flight’s destination. A packet given to the migrants prior to the flights clearly indicated Martha’s Vineyard as the destination and included and a list of several resources, including local churches and potential employment opportunities.