The White House's claims that ending Title 42 restrictions won't result in an open border are "an insult to everybody wearing a badge" to protect the United States and its communities, Cochise County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark Dannels told Newsmax on Monday.
"To have somebody say the border's effectively secured is a false narrative for the wrong reason," Dannels told Newsmax's "National Report. He added, "Shame on them for doing that."
Dannels pointed out that Border Patrol and other agencies are "doing everything they can with limited resources" to secure the border.
Dannels, a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and the border security chairman for the National Sheriffs' Association was responding to statements made by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre last week.
The press secretary, during a press briefing, told reporters that "we know smugglers will try to spread misinformation to take advantage of these vulnerable migrants" and that "the fact is that the removal of Title 42 does not mean the border is open."
"Anyone who suggests otherwise is simply doing the work of these smugglers who, again, are spreading misinformation, which is very dangerous," Jean-Pierre added.
"What do they think is going on in our Southwest border every day when we see this?" said Dannels.
Jean-Pierre also said, "When it comes to public safety, national security, and humanitarian [issues] this is America's problem. We have to unite about that and quit putting out false narratives about border security."
Meanwhile, the number of migrants keep climbing along the southern border, with Customs and Border Protection reporting over the weekend that there were more than 233,000 apprehended in November — the highest number of illegal border crossings on record for that month.
Dannels said the numbers are "alarming, but they're not shocking," considering how they have escalated since President Joe Biden took office almost two years ago.
"What continues to not grow is the prioritization by this administration and leadership within Congress to stop it," said Dannels. "Just looking at the numbers: A town's worth of folks are coming in — a city's worth in some cases — and this is each and every month."
Outgoing GOP Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has agreed to remove a wall of shipping containers along the state's border, after a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration.
"There is no operational plan to secure our southern border," said Dannels. "There hasn't been for 24 months … there's no engagement by President Biden or Congress to help us fix the border crisis. In fact, all we're doing is providing money to those coming across."
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