Texas Sheriffs call for Border Security Action

Sheriff’s from more than 20 Texas counties are asking Congress to take action quickly to better secure the border.

STATEMENT OF TEXAS SHERIFFS ON BORDER CRISIS:
The Sheriffs’ Association of Texas joins the Southwestern Border Sheriffs’ Coalition and the sheriffs of the State of North Carolina in announcing its support for,
and encouragement of, Congress to act promptly to secure the nearly 2,000 miles of the nation’s southern border and its ports of entry.

Congress can substantially improve public safety only by rationally updating and coordinating national policy in several key areas, including policy on physical
security—the construction of stretches of a wall or other physical barriers in strategic locations, drones and other technology, and manpower—on immigration, on law enforcement, and on economic and trade relations. In addition to securing the border, Congress’s goals should include preserving and strengthening international relations, the rule of law, and our long and rich friendship with Mexico and other nations.

Texas sheriffs recognize that the nation has several competing goals in the field of border security and that it has limited resources. A broad-based and long-term solution will be difficult and expensive. But outdated and uncoordinated public policies are creating an increasing threat to public safety at home and abroad. How many more hundreds of thousands of Americans must perish from drug overdoses before Congress is willing to stop bickering and work together with the President of the United States in a meaningful way to solve this crisis? Federal, state and local law enforcement on the border and across Texas acknowledge that the flow of illegal immigration into the United States is completely out of control. Yet, politicians blinded by partisanship, are
unwilling to concede that every level of law enforcement and the communities they live in along our southern border are overwhelmed by a tsunami of asylum seekers who make their dangerous journey knowing that untenable and outdated US immigration
policies won’t allow them to be turned away and returned to their countries of origin.

Criminals on both sides of the border are exploiting this humanitarian crisis and the lack of security on our border with Mexico. These same criminals are flooding our nation with narcotics and dangerous drugs, the likes of which has never been seen before. Texas sheriffs, therefore, add their voice to the growing expression of political will for Congress to act promptly to secure the southern border.

Respectfully,
Sheriff Gerald Yezak, Robertson County, President of the Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Tom Maddox, Sabine County, First-Vice President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Kelly Rowe, Lubbock County, Second-Vice President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of
Texas
Sheriff Buddy Mills, Gillespie County, Third-Vice President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Larry Smith, Smith County, Sergeant at Arms, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Gary Maddox, Lamb County, Immediate Past President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Jim Skinner, Collin County, Director; Legislative Committee Chair, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Pam Elliott, Edwards County, Director, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Ricky Jones, Franklin County, Director, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Jess Ramos, Lampasas County, Director, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Greg Capers, San Jacinto County, Director, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Larry Spence, Willacy County, Chaplain, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Harold Eavenson, Rockwall County, Immediate Past President, National Sheriffs’ Association;
Border Security Committee Co-Chair, National Sheriffs’ Association
Sheriff Chris Kirk, Brazos County, Former President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas; Government Affairs
Committee Chair, National Sheriffs’ Association
Sheriff Gary Painter, Midland County, Former President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas; President, Western States
Sheriffs’ Association
Sheriff Maxey Cerliano, Gregg County, Former President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Don Sowell, Grimes County, Former President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Dennis Wilson, Limestone County, Former President, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Sheriff Bill Waybourn, Tarrant County, Legislative Committee Vice-Chair, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas
Steve Westbrook, Executive Director, Sheriffs’ Assoc. of Texas