Reports that illegal aliens are being released from custody into the United States without being tested for COVID-19 are "absolutely true," Jackson County, Texas Sheriff A.J. Louderback told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Monday.
"The memo that I received this last week -- it's a defunding-ICE-by-memo -- by memorandum, sent out January 20, 2021," Louderback told host Tucker Carlson.
"This is a particularly devastating document for Texans and Americans here in the United States," he added. "When I read it and looked at it, it's a message to the world that you can come here illegally, you can commit crimes here against Americans, and remain illegally."
Louderback claimed that the memo was circulated by then-Acting Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske.
"We walked this path from 2008 to 2016," the sheriff said. "This program that was released by memorandum is very similar to the Priority Enforcement Program in 2014 and 2015, were people were able to commit crimes against Americans.
"The COVID issue [is being] overlooked during that time. So, I struggle for a thought process, like many Americans and Texans, on how an administration can conduct themselves in this matter."
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Louderback accused the federal government of "promoting a lawless attitude" that he said will get Americans hurt or killed.
"Every peace officer in the United States should be extremely concerned about the attitude, the lawlessness, the complete abject removal of law," he said. "We have a full nullification of the law going on here. We're going to allow our ICE officers, USCIS, all affected by this memo, which guts the INA and handcuffs them so that they're unable to respond. So in law enforcement here, those of us that don't have the jurisdiction to enforce the federal laws here, we've created a situation that is unthinkable for the public."