ALL RIGHT, GRIFF, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
FASCINATING STUFF.
LET’S GET REACTION NOW FROM A
SHERIFF WHO IS SEEING FIRSTHAND
WHAT THIS BORDER CRISIS MEANS
FOR OUR COUNTRY.
AND, OF COURSE, FOR THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE TRYING TO CROSS OVER.
IT’S A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS
WELL.
CLINT McDONALD IS ALSO
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS
SOUTHWESTERN BORDER SHERIFFS’
COALITION.
SHERIFF, LOOK, YOU’RE ON THE
GROUND, YOU’RE SEEING THIS
CRISIS EVOLVE.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING FROM YOUR
POINT OF VIEW?
>> WELL, WE’RE SEEING
BORDER-WIDE FROM SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA, TO BROWNSVILLE,
TEXAS, THE INCREASE IN THE
POPULATION COMING ACROSS OUR
BORDER.
AND OUR BORDER SHERIFFS ARE NOT
IMMIGRATION OFFICERS.
THEY ARE, THEIR CHARGE IS TO
TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO
ELECTED THEM TO OFFICE IN EACH
ONE OF THEIR COUNTIES AND EACH
ONE OF THEIR STATES.
SO WE’RE SEEING THAT THE
INCREASE IN THE HIGH-SPEED
CHASES, VEHICLE CHASES, WE’VE
HAD A FATALITY -- WE HAD EIGHT
FATALITIES IN ONE CRASH IN DEL
RIO E, TEXAS, LAST WEEK.
WE’RE JUST SEEING THE OVERRUN.
AND THAT IS WHAT OUR PRIMARY
GOAL IS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAD ONE COUNTY THAT ONE
INDIVIDUAL WAS LEFT, HE SET A
HOUSE ON FIRE SO HE COULD BE
PICKED UP.
SO ALL OF THIS IS A ECONOMIC AND
A PROBLEM TO OUR COUNTIES --
[INAUDIBLE]
ASHLEY: YEAH.
WHAT KIND OF THREAT DOES THIS
POSE TO THE POPULATION IN THE
UNITED STATES THAT HAPPEN TO
LIVE NEAR THE BORDER?
YOU MENTIONED HIGH-SPEED CHASES
AND OTHER INCIDENTS.
THERE ARE ALSO MIGRANTS THAT ARE
TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID.
I MEAN, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT
SAFETY ISSUE, IS IT NOT IN -- IS
IT NOT?
>> WELL, OF COURSE IT IS.
ANYTIME THAT YOU HAVE THIS
POLICY OF CATCH AND RELEASE, AND
THIS ADMINISTRATION’S NOT THE
FIRST ADMINISTRATION THAT’S EVER
USED CATCH AND RELEASE.
IT’S JUST THE NUMBERS ARE SO, SO
STAGGERING RIGHT NOW THAT THE
TESTING FOR COVID -- I WAS ON A
CALL WITH THE SECTOR HERE, AND
THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT ALIENS
BEING SENT FROM THE VALLEY TO EL
PASO BY COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS, AND
THEY DON’T KNOW IF THESE PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN TESTED OR NOT.
SO THEY’RE COMING THROUGH THE
AIRPORTS.
ASHLEY: WOW.
COULD YOU CONTRAST IT TO HOW IT
WAS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP?
BECAUSE HE TOOK A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT APPROACH, WAS VERY
TOUGH KEEPING THOSE SEEKING
ASYLUM TO STAY IN MEXICO OR
APPLY IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
ALL OF THAT’S GONE BY THE WAY.
IT FEELS LIKE THE WORD IS OUT
NOW, HEY, IF YOU GO FOR THE
BORDER NOW, YOU CAN GET ACROSS A
LOT EASIER.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE MOW AS TO
WHAT IT WAS UNDER -- NOW AS TO
WHAT IT WAS UNDER PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
>> WELL, YOU HAVE TWO VERY
CONTRASTING ADMINISTRATIONS, AND
WE HOPE THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION
WILL GRASP WHAT’S GOING ON AND
GET CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.
AND WE’RE NOT SAYING THAT ONE
ADMINISTRATION IS BETTER THAN
THE OTHER ADMINISTRATION.
I HAVE A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF
SHERIFFS, IS SO WE’RE HOPEFUL
THAT THIS WILL GET TAKEN CARE OF
SOON.
ASHLEY: WELL, VERY QUICKLY, I
MENTIONED A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
ESPECIALLY AMONG UNA ACCOMPANIED
MINERS, CHILDREN.
THEY’RE COMING ALONE AND NOW
BEING LEFT IN LIMBO.
THIS REALLY IS A HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS, AND I FEEL LIKE IT’S
ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.
WHAT SAY YOU?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
THESE CHILDREN ARE OUR MAIN
CONCERN.
OUR SHERIFFS ARE NOT
IMMIGRATION, BUT ANYTIME YOU
HAVE A CHILD OUT IN THE MIDDLE
OF NOWHERE BY THEMSELVES OR JUST
ONE OR TWO OF THEM TOGETHER,
THAT IS A GRAVE CONCERN FOR OUR
SHERIFFS.
ASHLEY: IT REALLY IS.
ALL RIGHT, WE’LL HAVE TO LEAVE
IT THERE.
SHERIFF CLINT McDONALD, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT
TO CHAT WITH US ABOUT THE SURGE
IN MIGRANTS.
WE DO APPRECIATE IT, THANK YOU.