John Torres, former ICE acting director, says Mexican cartels are "getting desperate" as President Donald Trump's border policies continue to hurt their operations.
"They're really being impacted here with what President Trump and his team have been doing to close the border and make it much more difficult for these cartels to bring drugs across the country," Torres said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report," adding that "it's hurting their bottom-line dollar."
As a result, the cartels are turning their anger toward U.S. law enforcement officers enforcing the border crackdown, he said.
Torres on also slammed Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for suggesting he would take legal action against ICE agents enforcing immigration law.
"It's more than twisted. It's disgusting," Torres said.
"Can you imagine if he used the weight of all of his resources in the state of Illinois to actually go after cartels and the criminals, especially in Chicago, with the crime rate that we've seen over the years?" he added.
"Instead, he's using it to score political points and making ICE agents even more of a target," he said.
Torres said the agents are simply doing their jobs.
"They're enforcing the laws that Congress has passed and trying to make the streets safer, even in sanctuary cities where governors and mayors are not cooperating with ICE," he said. "That's making their job that much more difficult and more dangerous."
He also called out Illinois officials for allowing an illegal immigrant to serve as a police officer.
"There is a law on the books for illegal aliens being in possession of a firearm, which is a federal felony," said Torres.
"The fact that he got through the vetting process and was handed a gun by the city against federal law is just amazing."
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