Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told a congressional committee that less than half the border is under “operational control.” He also testified that about one in five illegal immigrants caught at the border have a criminal record.
While the president says the border has never been more secure, Judd’s testimony exposes the immigration crisis and places it in stark relief. In short, 60% of the American border is made of Swiss cheese and government pronouncements about how secure it is aren’t worth squat.
All told, 91,000 criminal aliens caught by the Border Patrol were deported last year, compared to about 486,000 total illegal immigrants caught.
Nearly half of the criminal aliens deported had aggravated felonies on their records, Mr. Judd testified to the House Oversight Committee.
“This is the challenge we are facing at the border today. There are those who will point to lower apprehension rates and tell you the border is secure. Border Patrol agents, however, throughout this nation will tell you the border is not secure and the southwest border certainly is not safe.”
Asked by Chairman Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican, how much of the border is under “operational control,” meaning the government is poised to deter or apprehend illegal entries, Robert L. Harris, director of Customs and Border Protection’s joint task force in charge of combating border violence, said he couldn’t answer.
But Mr. Judd said based on what he hears from his union’s line agents across the border, “I would say we would be lucky if we’re 40 percent.”
The Obama administration has been bragging about the increased number of apprehensions at the border and the apparent drop in the number of illegal immigrants overall. But there are fewer immigration cases because there are fewer jobs in the U.S., and border apprehension figures are inflated by the recent spate of illegal immigrants from Central America who cross the border and allow themselves to be caught.
The fact is, if 60% of our border is not under the government’s control, it doesn’t matter how many illegal immigrants are caught and deported. More than half the border is virtually undefended, and thousands of violent felons are walking into the U.S. ready to prey on American citizens.
What a massive indictment of President Obama’s border-control efforts.
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