Gov. Abbott on border security: 'We're going to start arresting people'
Texas governor and former President Donald Trump address the worsening immigration crisis at the southern border.
As the immigration surge at the southern border continues to take a turn for the worst, former President Donald Trump joined a Fox News’ Town Hall on "Hannity" to reflect on his effective policies now reversed by President Biden.
"It was over," he said. "We stopped a lot of the drugs that were coming in, which is very tough to do. And they have some real criminals bringing this stuff in. They have the toughest people, these cartels. These are tough, smart people."
Trump called the uptick in human and drug trafficking a "disgrace" since his administration had it "largely stopped" for months, as well as catch and release.
The former president advocated for the federal government to step in and help the state of Texas manage the crisis at the border which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he’s ready to take matters into his own hands.
"We in Texas have been left to our own devices to fend for ourselves, just like we're some outpost somewhere along some territory that the federal government doesn't care about anymore," Abbott said. "It's not like it was with President Trump. He cared about Texas. He stepped up to Texas. He built the wall in Texas."
Abbott argued that the first mistake the Biden administration made was neglecting to enforce immigration laws already passed by Congress, leading to an open border system. Since the state of Texas has declared a disaster, the governor announced that migrant arrests will be made.
"The penalties have increased for anybody trespassing, anybody who vandalizes anything, and they're going to go to jail," he said. "We are working with sheriffs, men and women in the White House behind me."
"We're going to start arresting people, putting people behind bars, putting them in jail by giving them the red carpet treatment the Biden administration has been giving them."
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Meanwhile, the severity of the crisis has taken a fatal turn. Fox News contributor and investigative journalist Sara Carter reported Wednesday that extreme heat has led to a growing number of migrant deaths at the south Texas border, totaling 202 bodies recovered this year so far.
Several bodies found have tested positive for COVID and appeared to have suffered from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
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