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Border Sheriffs Concerned About Trump’s Plan To Militarize Border

During a news conference this week, President Donald Trump said he was “preparing for the military to secure the border.”

This statement caught Arizona law enforcement by surprise. Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier said his team wasn’t contacted, nor were the sheriffs for Yuma or Santa Cruz counties.

“How those assets would be coordinated with local law enforcement ... I think is a major concern to county sheriffs,” Napier said. “We would have the military in our respective counties.” 

Four sheriffs in Arizona are responsible for 370 miles of international border, and Napier said he’s not opposed  to additional resources.

But he said there’s a big gap between Trump’s statements tweets and implementation of public policy.

“It’d be nice if, especially for a border sheriff … when the Trump administration is considering things like this that we would touch base with the people on the ground there,” he said.

Claire Caulfield was a reporter and Morning Edition producer at KJZZ from 2015 to 2019.