U.S. Border Patrol chief calls southern border a "national security threat," citing 140,000 migrants who evaded capture [View all]
Source: CBS
Washington — In an exclusive interview with CBS News, U.S. Border Patrol chief Jason Owens called the situation at the southern border a "national security threat," expressing concern about tens of thousands of migrants who have evaded apprehension and entered the country surreptitiously over the past five months.
Owens said Border Patrol is "closing in" on recording one million apprehensions of migrants in between ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2024 fiscal year, which started in October. For the third consecutive year, his agency is on track to record two million apprehensions by the time the fiscal year ends at the end of September, Owens added.
"That number is a large number, but what's keeping me up at night is the 140,000 known got-aways," Owens said in his first exclusive interview as Border Patrol chief, referring to migrants who are detected by cameras and sensors crossing into the U.S. illegally, but not apprehended.
"Why are they risking their lives and crossing in areas where we can't get to?" Owens asked. "Why are they hiding? What do they have to hide? What are they bringing in? What is their intent? Where are they coming from? We simply don't know the answers to those questions. Those things for us are what represent the threat to our communities."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jason-owens-border-patrol-southern-border-national-security-threat/
Video of the interview:
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