Arizona Sheriff: Obama Administration Has “Handcuffed” Border Patrol

Article audio sponsored by The John Birch Society

Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff Paul Babeu, speaking on March 8 at the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Florence, Arizona, charged that “[the Obama] administration has handcuffed the Border Patrol.”

Babeu spoke at a joint press conference with leaders of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), which represents approximately 18,000 Border Patrol Agents and support personnel assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol.

During his talk, Babeu noted that the number of illegal immigrants crossing our border duing the first four months of this fiscal year has risen by 25 percent. Furthermore, he noted, there has been a 102-percent increase in unaccompanied juveniles crossing illegally.

“What we see from this administration is an actual reduction [in the number of Border Patrol agents] at a time we should be providing more support to secure our border,” Babeu said.

Azfamily.com, the website of KTVK TV in Phoenix, reported that Babeu was critical of Border Patrol Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, saying that agents “have a leader in Kerlikowske who says if they don’t agree with the Obama administration and this lawlessness that’s happening that they can go find another job.”

“Well, I have a problem with that,” Babeu said.

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Babeu said there are 1,500 Border Patrol agents that are mandated by Congress “that are not being hired and we see a submission of another 300 Border Patrol agents that are being cut. That’s approaching almost 10 percent of our Border Patrol that is not being added to guard and defend America.”

Babeu also repeated a warning he has made in previous statements — that illegal aliens from terrorist nations continue to cross the U.S. southern border and that more, not fewer, Border Patrol agents are needed to stop them.

“This is a likely avenue of approach for them to come into our unsecure border,” Babeu said. “We should be putting every resource to the border. And instead of threatening the very people who are charged with protecting our country, securing the border, they should be finding ways to further support them.”

We reported on the DHS’s intention to cut the number of Border Patrol agents in a March 3 article. In that article, we cited figures reported by KRGV.com (the website of KRGV, in the Rio Grande Valley) on March 1, noting that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget for fiscal 2017 will fund 300 fewer Border Patrol agents in 2017 than it did for this fiscal year.

We also quoted NBPC Local 3307 Vice President Chris Cabrera, who strongly criticized the proposed reduction:

We have people turning themselves in at unprecedented rates. Then we have the people that are always coming in illegally. Then we have the drug flow that’s coming north and the money that’s going south and guns that are going south. And to cut jobs at a time like this is a recipe for disaster.

During the March 8 press conference, NBPC President Brandon Judd told reporters, “We are either going to be a specialized law enforcement agency dedicated to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws or a political arm of the administration.”

Azfamily.com reported that Judd also alleged that the Obama administration has perpetuated a campaign to mislead the American people into believing our borders are secure.

“[President Obama] has manipulated the data, had agents assigned to low traffic areas and attempted to quiet dissent by calling those who question his approach as misinformed without offering an evidence to support these allegations,” said Judd.