A Texas law enforcement officer and a state lawmaker told Newsmax on Thursday that the federal government is doing a disservice to the state and the nation by not acknowledging there is a crisis at the U.S. southern border.
"That's the problem that we've been facing as a state for the past two years, that the federal government has failed to acknowledge that we even have a border crisis," Lt. Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Highway Patrol told "American Agenda." "When you look at the number of people that are being smuggled and trafficked, children as well as fentanyl, criminals that are coming across, suspected terrorists. All this that has been taking place for the past two years."
"Yet there's no acknowledgment from the federal government that we have a crisis. That's why the state of Texas has to step in," Olivarez added.
"We've been stepping in for the past two years, and we continue to do so because no one else is doing it. Our troopers, our National Guard, all of our law enforcement partners, border patrol are out there, right on the front lines every single day, trying to stop what's happening at our borders when it comes to human smuggling, drugs."
Texas state GOP Rep. Brian Harrison blames the crisis on the Biden administration's immigration policy.
"[President] Joe Biden and [Vice President] Kamala Harris' open border policies are the least humane possible border policy that one could have," Harrison said. "And think about the priorities of this administration. They are completely backward. Joe Biden has given operational control of that border to the drug cartels.
"There has never been a greater marketing or advertising campaign for the deadly dangerous drug [and] human trafficking cartels than Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' open border policies."
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