Border crisis leading to rise in gang violence, endangering police

With federal data showing illegal immigration numbers and assaults on law enforcement are reaching historic highs, the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology heard testimony Tuesday regarding the dangers posed by current border policies to police officers and the communities they serve.

The hearing featured three witnesses with on-the-ground experience in law enforcement, all of whom highlighted the dangerous results of the border crisis, particularly the rise of the notorious Venezuelan-based gang, Tren de Aragua, in communities across the U.S.

Executive Director and CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association Jonathan F. Thompson called for an end to sanctuary cities, saying the gang is a “severe public safety threat” whose rise is a “direct consequence of the failed border policies” of the Biden administration.

“And now we’re looking at the targeting of law enforcement across the country–it’s not just in New York City, it is in nearly every location where TdA [Tren de Aragua] exists,” Thompson said, pointing out that TdA is active in at least 17 states. “They are dangerous. They are everywhere.”