Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, a House committee looked at how problems at the southern border affect police officers all over the country.
Officials told lawmakers that it’s getting harder for them to do their jobs because foreign gangs are coming to the U.S.
“They’re dangerous.” “They are everywhere,” Jonathan Thompson, Executive Director and CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said about Tren de Aragua, a crime group from Venezuela that operates across borders. “There is a big problem, and it’s not just in big cities.”
Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wants to give local police more tools and power to enforce federal rules.
He said, “To get rid of these criminal aliens.” “To get rid of these gangs that are committing crimes in these areas.”
The bill would force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to give grants and detention space to states.
“ICE needs to send a check to that local law enforcement agency to repay them for every penny they spent on that arrest and detention,” Blackburn said.
Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), a Democrat, said that Republicans are also trying to cut money for other programs that deal with the border.
“Would getting rid of these resources help your community stop or deal with crime more?” Carter asked at the hearing on Tuesday.
“Getting rid of federal resources that help our local police would be hard for us,” said Michael Chapman, sheriff of Loudoun County and a representative of Major County Sheriffs of America.
The Blackburn bill would also stop giving some federal money to towns that don’t want to help the federal government enforce immigration law. A policy like this was put in place by the first Trump government, but it was changed by the Biden administration.
Source: Lawmakers assess impact of issues at southern border on local law enforcement
