Texas sheriff takes border crisis into own hands, detains migrants
Kinney County, Texas sheriff Brad Coe shares how he is taking initiative on the border crisis and is detaining migrants at the U.S.'s southern border.
Kinney County, Texas Sheriff Brad Coe said he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands at the southern border as the influx of illegal immigrants continues.
Coe joined "Fox & Friends First" Thursday after he detained and drove migrants back to the U.S.-Mexico border himself due to a lack of resources.
"Anyone or anything we catch walking the highway or in smuggling endeavor, we can roll over to Border Patrol," Coe began. "But because of the Biden administration and policies that are being put into place by the administration, I didn't have any resources but to take [them] back myself."
Coe said five migrants were apprehended by his deputies Wednesday. While one migrant was transported to a hospital, four migrants were uninjured and denied to been seen by EMS. Coe explained that the U.S. Border Patrol requires migrants to be medically cleared before being detained, which would require two of his six deputies to take them to the closest hospital 35 miles away. Instead, Coe drove the migrants to an official port of entry to Mexico.
Police and other first responders work the scene where officials say dozens of people have been found dead and multiple others were taken to hospitals with heat-related illnesses after a semitrailer containing suspected migrants was found, Monday, June 27, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (AP )
"I'll always place the safety of the residents of Kinney County, the residents of Texas, above the comfort of anybody that's illegally entered this country," he said. "My job is, as an elected official in Kinney County, is to protect these people. And that's my job and that's what I will continue to do until further notice."
According to the sheriff, Biden's open border policies are anything but compassionate and tragedies like the 53 migrants killed in a human trafficking operation will continue to happen until the administration begins to enforce border laws.
Coe also warned agriculture has been affected by uncontrolled migration.
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"Groups are walking through watermelon pastures, tearing at the watermelon… The torn-out fences, the broken water lines, the windows that have been damaged. One of the local ranchers has spent 40, 50, $60,000 in the past year repairing his fences to keep his cattle and his livestock," he said.
Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report
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