Border patrol agent tells CNN that he has to allow illegal border crossings or lose his job
A border patrol agent speaking anonymously with CNN said that he has to allow illegal border crossings or risk losing his job.
A Border Patrol agent told CNN that he feels pressured to allow illegal border crossings or risk receiving a complaint and even losing his job.
"Our hands are tied," the anonymous border agent told a reporter in a segment Wednesday. "If I don't allow them to cross, they call and complain, now I'm in trouble."
"Now I'm going to lose my job," the agent added, explaining the risks associated with refusing to facilitate border crossings.
A border patrol agent told CNN that he feels pressured to allow illegal border crossings or risk losing his job. (CNN)
The agent also explained that the job of securing the border was one that was once filled with "pride."
"We didn't have to babysit," he said.
When asked about the recent executive order from the Biden administration to reduce illegal border crossings, the border agent signaled skepticism.
"Well it only took [Biden] what, three years and seven months?" the agent said.
The White House announced an executive action last week to crack down on crossings once they reach a certain limit, with the move coming just months ahead of the November election. Polls have shown immigration to be a major vulnerability for President Biden in a general election match-up with former President Trump.
The order will temporarily suspend the entry of non-citizens once the number of average border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days. That order will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of fewer than 1,500 encounters along the border.
This split shows President Biden and migrants at the southern border. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta and Fox News)
Biden's announcement comes after years of Republicans and anti-illegal immigration activists attacking the president for not doing enough to secure the border.
The Biden administration has denied responsibility for the crisis and pointed to external factors like violence and economic instability in South and Central America as the reason for vast waves of migration to the U.S.
Under the current administration, there have been more than 7 million migrant crossings.
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The White House denied the claims of the anonymous border patrol agent in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"This is false," the White House spokesperson said.
Fox News' Taylor Penley and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
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