Ron Vitiello: Biden admin 'abandoned their responsibility to protect the homeland'
Former Border Patrol chief said Biden administration encouraging migrants to make dangerous trek in extreme heat
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former Border Patrol Chief Ron Vitiello said Thursday the border has seen more than 1.5 million apprehensions so far this year, with no signs of slowing down.
Vitiello joined "America's Newsroom" to address the crisis at the southern border and slammed the Biden administration for encouraging illegal immigration.
"This administration has abandoned their responsibility to control that border and protect the homeland," he told Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ARIZONA AG BRNOVICH URGES GOV. DUCEY TO DECLARE BORDER CRISIS AN ‘INVASION’
His comments came after a number of House Republicans backed the move by a number of Texas counties to declare the situation at the southern border an "invasion" -- as border states face overwhelming migrant numbers.
"It’s a sad day when local leaders have to effectively declare themselves a Sanctuary County for the law-abiding citizen," Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "That’s the new reality under a derelict President who has ceded control of our sovereign border to narco-terrorist cartels and abandoned the American people."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Officials from several Texas counties on Tuesday declared the migrant crisis an invasion. The declarations are likely to put further pressure on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to make a statewide declaration, which some conservatives believe would give the state the authority to return migrants across the border.
Vitiello said the Biden administration is doing a terrible job controlling the southern border and as a result, Border Patrol and nearby communities are left to "put up with this nonsense."
"This administration has never stepped forward and explained to us what they're trying to accomplish down there. … It's getting worse and they have no solutions," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}COATZACOALCOS, MEXICO - MARCH 31, 2021: Hondurans Migrants, continue their journey on the railroad tracks, looking for a chance to get on the train and be able to reach the U.S. border.(Photo credit should read Idalia Rie / Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
"We're seeing the results of [Biden border policies.] It's a very sobering report you showed," in reference to Bill Melugin's report on migrants dying from extreme heat, yet continuing to cross the border in large groups including children separated from their families.
"Every chance they've (Biden administration) had to make a statement about border security or an immigration system that has integrity, they stepped back from the rule of law," said the former ICE director under President Trump.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Biden administration now has the authority to end the Trump-era "Remain-in-Mexico" policy after last week's Supreme Court ruling.
Vitiello said this policy did more to secure the border than any other policy during his career, a policy Republicans argue has not been enforced by the Biden administration.
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report