Border communities are still digesting President Joe Biden’s recent visit to El Paso, Texas, late last year and his administration’s roll out of new border enforcement protocols.
In a blog post from the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, a group of law enforcement leaders in various cities around the U.S., Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar called for increased funding for border aid groups.
“Increased humanitarian assistance for nonprofits and faith-based organizations that serve immigrants is also much-needed and appreciated — as are this administration’s efforts to work with, and secure increased funding for, law enforcement in border communities," he said. "This support will help us deal more effectively with the crimes of human trafficking and drug smuggling.”
The Department of Homeland Security recently rolled out a number of new border enforcement plans, including an expansion of pandemic-era asylum restrictions and a heavier focus on fast-tracking removal processes for migrants.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., GOP lawmakers are set to begin the first of what they say will be a series of congressional hearings about the border.
